


Defenders of the Light | Part 1: Love. Be Afraid.

by laughingstock (Laughingstock_16)



Series: Defenders of the Light | Teen Wolf [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Aromantic, Aromantic Isaac Lahey, Asexual Character, Asexual Isaac Lahey, Isaac Lahey/His Scarf, Multi, Pre-Werewolf Isaac Lahey, QPR with my bby Isaac and OC, Stiles Stilinski is a Little Shit, annoying older brother (who's also an oc), but so is the oc so it's ok, sarcastic main character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:54:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25683883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laughingstock_16/pseuds/laughingstock
Summary: Emma le Fay was introduced to the supernatural world when she was born. It's her job to make sure no one else is. But what happens when her two best friends get dragged into this mess? Things are changing, and it's best if no one trusts anyone.----------Teen Wolf, Season 1
Relationships: Allison Argent/Scott McCall, Isaac Lahey & Original Female Character(s), Lydia Martin/Jackson Whittemore, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Stiles Stilinski & Original Female Character(s), The Pack (Teen Wolf) & Original Female Character(s)
Series: Defenders of the Light | Teen Wolf [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1877623
Comments: 3
Kudos: 5





	1. Part 1 | Love. Be Afraid.

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Teen Wolf. However, I do own the le Fays, their background, and the twist on their species (jeez how do I explain it without spoiling it ugh). Anyway, all manips are made by me, as well as the cover. While I don't own the photos themselves, I did add them together. © 2020 laughingstock

Run Boy Run by Woodkid

_“Run boy run! This world is not made for you. Run boy run! They're trying to catch you.”_

\----------

Emma le Fay was introduced to the supernatural world when she was born. It's her job to make sure no one else is. But what happens when her two best friends get dragged into this mess? Things might get tricky, and it's best if no one trusts anyone.

\----------

[Olivia Holt as Emma le Fay](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/41/e8/83/41e8831d30b2f6c78f740d07e11de38f.gif)

[Iain De Caestecker as Andrew le Fay](https://media1.tenor.com/images/c35a8bbce7f586e79108b8596855bbee/tenor.gif?itemid=5343124)

[Ansel Elgort as Leo le Fay](https://media2.giphy.com/media/Q0xW68uG5Mnvi/giphy.gif)

[Elizabeth Olsen as Morgan le Fay](https://cdn140.picsart.com/299077211268201.gif?to=min&r=480)

[Teen Wolf Cast as Themselves](https://em.wattpad.com/bb9991d60ea845367efddee3e1efcfe0fb0bfee2/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f36335f32344c50536850717051773d3d2d3333363439383734332e313438386665386564383432616132333236333736333634363231382e676966)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who jumped on the Teen Wolf Bandwagon like 2349873 years too late? Me. It's me.


	2. 1: Stiles Decides A Dead Body Is More Important Than Sleep

Emma le Fay lies on her bead, tossing and turning. She’s excited for the new year, of course, but definitely isn’t looking forward to continuing the endless supply of homework her brother complained about three years before. She finally gives up trying to sleep and goes downstairs for a cup of water. Bringing the glass back up to her room, she sighs and takes a sip. The girl sits down at her desk and spins around a couple of times on her chair, before getting bored of it and returning to her bed. A shadow flickers in the corner of her eye and she whips her head around, finding nothing. Shrugging she turns around and hears a repetitive tapping sound on her window. Turning around slowly this time, she nearly screams and scrambles off the bed when she finds one of her best friends, Stiles Stilinski, grinning at her window. She glares at the boy with the buzz cut before unlocking the window, allowing him to come inside.

“Hey, Emma!” He tries to climb over the ledge but trips over it and face plants into the girl’s bed. Stiles recovers quickly, brushing off his jeans and standing up. She folds her arms across her chest, still glaring at him.

“What do you want?” She demands.

“Well, my dad left about ten minutes ago along with, like, the whole department  _ and _ the state patrol to find a dead body in the woods.” He says excitedly. Emma doesn’t budge.

“And…?”

“Don’t you wanna find out what’s going on?”

“Uh, nope. Not really. I’d like to have a good night’s sleep before school starts. And it’s tomorrow, by the way. So how about you go and have fun with your little adventure and I’ll stay here and sleep. Like a normal person.” The girl tries to shove him out the window again, failing miserably.

“No, you’re coming with me to find Scott, and then we’re gonna find the dead body.” He argues. Emma huffs, finally giving in. She grabs a red sweatshirt from her closet and yanks it on.

“Hey, isn’t that my lacrosse hoodie?” Stiles asks.

“Yep,” Emma confirms. “Turn around, I gotta change my pants.” She pulls off her shorts and changes into a comfortable pair of leggings. After putting on some socks, the girl ties her blue Converse.

“‘Kay, let’s go,” Stiles jumps out her window, landing quietly in the bushes below. Emma follows suit, closing her window behind her.

* * *

“ _ Hi, this is Scott McCall. I’m kinda busy right now, but I’ll get back to you as soon-- _ ” Stiles punches the “end” button before the voicemail finishes.

“Why isn’t he answering? I’ve called him like four times already!” The boy grumbles from the driver’s seat of his baby blue Jeep.

“Well  _ maybe _ he’s asleep because we have school tomorrow.” Emma retorts from the seat next to him.

“Alright, that’s it. I’m gonna go find him.” Stiles unbuckles his seatbelt and scrambles out of his car, slamming the door behind him. The girl rolls her eyes but does the same. When she gets out of the car, the boy is already climbing up onto the roof of the porch and peeking through Scott’s window.

“What are you doing?” Emma hisses. The light flickers on in the living room and she dives into the bushes next to the porch. Scott creeps around from the back, looking terrified and holding up a wooden bat. Just then, Stiles accidentally trips and falls, the vines catching his feet and preventing him from hitting his head on the railing. Scott screams, which causes Stiles to also scream and flail his arms.

“Stiles?” Scott cries out in disbelief. “What the  _ hell _ are you doing?”

“You weren’t answering your phone!” He notices the wooden object Scott clutches in his hands. “Why do you have a bat?” Scott glances at the bat, then lowers it.

“I thought you were a predator.” Scott tries to say.

“A pre--I--what?” Stiles scoffs. “Look, I know it’s late, but you gotta hear this. I saw my dad leave like twenty minutes ago. Dispatch called, and they’re bringing every officer from the Beacon Department, and even the state police.” He grins. Scott frowns.

“For what?” Stiles’s smile grows wider.

“Two joggers found a body in the woods.” He untangles the vines and flips onto the ground.

“A  _ dead _ body?” Scott clarifies. Stiles pops up and gives him an unimpressed look.

“No, a body of water.” He deadpans. “Yes, dumbass, a dead body!” He climbs over the railing and puts his hands over his hips dramatically.

“You mean like… murdered?” Scott smiles a bit, already getting excited. Emma examines a rock from where she is hiding.

“Nobody knows yet.” Stiles responds. “Just that it was a girl, probably in her twenties.”

“Hold on, if they found the body, then what are they looking for?” Scott asks.

“That’s the best part. They only found half.” Stiles says giddily. “We’re going.”

“Wait, wait, where’s Emma? We gotta get her.” Scott frowns.

“Hey, Scotty-boy,” Emma pops out from the bushes. The boy shrieks and swings the bat, only stopping when he realizes it’s her. She snickers, then fist-bumps Stiles, who is also giggling. Scott glares at the two of them, then trudges over to Stiles’s Jeep.

* * *

“We’re seriously doing this?” Scott asks.

“Yep,” Emma answers as she climbs out from the back.

“Yeah, you’re the one always bitching that nothing ever happens in this town.” Stiles pats his friends on the backs, then hops over the chain keeping them out of the preserve. Emma shrugs, then clicks on her flashlight, following Stiles.

“I was just trying to get a good night’s sleep before practice tomorrow.” Scott tries to defend himself as he hastily follows his two friends. Emma gives a pointed look to Stiles, as if to say  _ I told you so _ .

“Right, ‘cause sitting on the bench is  _ such _ a grueling effort.” Stiles says sarcastically.

“No, it’s because I’m playing this year.” The younger boy scoffs. “In fact, I’m making first line.”

“Hey, that’s the spirit!” The boy with the buzz cut says. “Everyone should have a dream, even if it’s a pathetically unreasonable one.” Emma stifles a snort, unsuccessfully disguising it as a cough. Scott rolls his eyes, then shoves his hands deep into his pockets.

“Just out of curiosity, which half of the body are we looking for?” Stiles pauses, then laughs nervously.

“Huh, I didn’t even think about that.” Emma smacks the back of his head, making the boy yelp in surprise.

“You  _ idiot _ .” She says flatly.

“Yeah, and uh, what if whoever killed the body is still out here?” Scott continues. Again, Stiles grimaces.

“Also something I didn’t think about.” Emma blinks at the boy.

“Stiles, if we die tonight, I’m totally blaming it on you.” She tells him as they start scaling a leafy hill.

“It’s comforting to know you’ve planned this out with your usual attention to detail.” Scott wheezes.

“I know.” Stiles replies, completely oblivious to his friend’s sarcastic remark.

“Maybe you should let the severe asthmatic hold the flashlight, huh?” Scott continues, pausing to lean against a tree. He digs a hand into his pocket and takes out an inhaler, shaking it furiously as he tries to control his coughing. Emma takes his arm and puts it around her shoulders, helping him the rest of the way up the hill. Stiles, a few steps ahead of the pair suddenly flops on his stomach, scrambling to turn off his flashlight. Confused, Emma also drops to the ground, pulling Scott with her. She props herself on her elbows like a sniper, then clicks off her flashlight as well. Then, she sees them. About ten figures in a line walk towards the trio, flashlights strobing across the forest.

“C’mon!” Stiles hisses, waving frantically. He darts off.

“Stiles!” Both Scott and Emma yell after him. The girl pulls him up to his feet as he takes a few puffs of his inhaler.

“Stiles!” Scott whispers loudly, trying to catch up to him. Emma, who ran track earlier that year, catches up to the older boy easily.

“Hey, wait for Scott!” She grabs him by the shoulder and forces him to turn around. “What, you’re just gonna abandon him?” Emma raises an eyebrow. Stiles gives her a look.

“No, you know those people? Those are my dad’s deputies!” The boy whisper-yells. “Which means, if one of them finds me, I’m gonna be grounded for eternity!” A dog barks behind the two, and a flashlight clicks on. Stiles and Emma scream, flailing around. The boy drops to the ground, scrambling backwards.

“Hang on, hang on.” A familiar voice says to the dog. “These little delinquents belong to me.” Emma opens her eyes, squinting at the sudden brightness. She gets up, blinking the dark spots away.

“Hey, Mr. Stilinski,” The girl says awkwardly, hands hanging by her sides.

“Dad, how’re you doing?” Stiles greets him.

“So, do you listen to all my phone calls?” The Sheriff says, a disappointed look on his face. Emma suddenly finds the leaves on the ground very interesting.

“No…” Stiles answers. His dad gives him a look. “Not the boring ones…” Noah sighs.

“Where’s the third musketeer?” He asks drily. 

“Who, Scott?” Stiles pants, still out of breath. “Sc-Scott’s home. Said he wanted to get a good night’s sleep for the first day back at school tomorrow. It’s just me and Emma. In the woods. Alone.” The boy rambles. The Sheriff narrows his eyes at his son. Emma cringes, dropping her face into her hands.

“Thanks, Stiles, for your amazing choice of words.” She mutters.

“Scott, you out there?” Noah yells, his flashlight scoping the woods. If he’s nearby, he doesn’t say anything. “Scott?” He repeats. No response. The Sheriff finally seems satisfied and lowers his flashlight. A few droplets of rain hit the ground, and it slowly becomes heavier. Emma tugs on her hood.

“Well, you two,” Noah grabs his son by the back of his neck. Stiles grunts in pain, but doesn’t protest. He jerks his head towards the entrance of the preserve. “I’m gonna walk you back to your car, and you and I are gonna have a conversation about something called invasion of privacy. As for you, Emma,” He nods at the girl, who gulps. “I’m gonna get you home, have a talk with your brother, and we’ll work something out.”

* * *

Sheriff Stilinski knocks on the door of the le Fay house, holding a soaking wet Emma by the arm. The porch light flickers on and a disoriented young man opens the door, rubbing at his eyes.

“Emma?” Andrew le Fay says groggily. “What’re you doing? And why are you wet?” He notices the older man next to her. “Oh no. Not again.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, Andrew, but your sister was wandering around the forest. Again.” The younger man purses his lips and pinches the bridge of his nose. 

“I am so sorry. This won’t happen again, thank you for bringing her back, Noah.”

“Have a good night,” He says as he walks back to his car. Andrew practically yanks Emma into the house, slamming the door shut behind her.

“Really, Emma? This isn’t exactly what I had in mind when I told you to find friends, you know.”

“At least I found friends! Look at Leo, at least I didn’t turn out like him!” She defends herself.

“I can hear you!” A voice calls out from the living room. Leo. Who’s no doubt watching TV.

“Look, I know to the public that I’m just your brother, but in this house, I’m your father, okay? And it’s my responsibility to take care of you.” He sighs. “The woods aren’t safe anymore. There’s been something going on, something supernatural. And you need to stay out of it.”

“But I’m almost finished with my training!” Emma protests.

“Leo’s closer to finishing than you, but you don’t see me dragging him around, do you?” Her father says. Emma clenches her jaw, but doesn’t disagree. “Go to sleep, you have school tomorrow. Might as well get some rest.” The girl trudges up the stairs, using her hoodie to dry her hair as much as she can.

* * *

She gets ready as quickly as she can, having packed everything before Stiles knocked on her window earlier that night. The sun would be up soon, and her father was right. Maybe it was better to leave the supernatural business to the adults. They were more qualified, after all. Her eyes start to droop, and soon, darkness overcomes her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yes. I have created a new series while not finishing the other one. Heh. (Please don’t kill me). (Also you can find the Maze Runner series under my profile.) Yay self-promo everywhere.) Anyway, who are the le Fays? Are they hunters? Werewolves? Or something else? We know that Andrew is Emma’s biological father, but it doesn’t make sense, does it? Who’s Leo? When did Scott and Stiles meet Emma? Don't worry, everything's gonna be cleared up in the future chapters.


	3. 2: Werewolf? Therewolf.

_ Beep. Beep. Beep. _ Emma’s alarm clock chirps. The girl groans and mashes her face into her pillow, begging for just five more minutes. Someone swings open the door without knocking first.

“Rise and shine, Em!” Leo says happily as he yanks the blinds open.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in college by now?” The girl grumbles.

“Please, I’ve got eternity. I think I deserve a break. Besides, I’ve gotta finish my training, right?” The older boy responds as he leaves the room. Emma flips over and glares at the ceiling, silently cursing Stiles and his nocturnal nature.

* * *

Emma quickly toasts a slice of bread and slathers it with butter, shoving it in her mouth. A horn honks outside. Stiles. She rushes past her father, yelling a muffled ‘ _ good morning!’ _ at him as she runs out the front door, hopping into Stiles’s jeep.

“And how are you on this lovely day?” Stiles asks with a wide grin as he starts driving. Emma takes a bite of her toast and pretends to consider the question before punching the boy in the arm.

“Asshole,” She mutters, ripping another piece of the bread with her teeth.

As they pull up to the school, the two teens see Scott, his face scrunched up in pain as he pedals furiously on his bike. He hops off, parking it on the bike rack. Emma sees Jackson, the captain of the lacrosse team, say something to the shaggy-haired boy.

“Hey, Scott!” Emma waves.

“Okay, let’s see this thing,” Stiles bounces on his toes in anticipation. Scott smiles and lifts his shirt to expose a slightly red-stained piece of gauze.

“Ooh!” Stiles exclaims and moves to touch it. Scott jerks back, shoving his shirt back down.

“It was too dark to see much, but I’m pretty sure it was a wolf.” He explains as he shoulders his backpack.

“A wolf bit you.” Stiles says with raised eyebrows as the trio starts walking towards the school.

“Uh huh,” Scott responds. Emma frowns, wondering if this was the supernatural problem her father was talking about.

“No, not a chance.”

“I heard a wolf howling!” Scott argues.

“No, you didn’t!” 

“What do you mean ‘no I didn’t,’? How do you know what I heard?”

“Because California doesn’t have wolves, okay? Not in like sixty years.” Stiles turns around to face Scott and Emma, who is still deep in her thoughts. 

“Really?” Scott asks.

“Yes, really. There are no wolves in California.” Stiles repeats. “Right, Emma?” The girl snaps her head up.

“Uh, sorry?” She says intelligently. Stiles rolls his eyes.

“Okay, well if you don’t believe me about the wolf, then you’re definitely not gonna believe me about when I tell you I found the body.” Scott reveals with a smile. Stiles moves around spastically in excitement.

“You-- I-- What, are you kidding me?” 

“No, I wish. I’m gonna have nightmares for a  _ month. _ ” Scott says with a shrug. Stiles sputters.

“Oh my god that is freaking  _ awesome _ . I mean, this is seriously gonna be the best thing that’s happened--” He catches a glimpse of the most popular girl in Beacon Hills High School. “--Since the birth of Lydia Martin. Hey, Lydia, you look… like you’re gonna ignore me.” He pouts as the girl brushes by him without so much of a glance. 

“Nice. Real smooth, Stilinski.” Emma snorts.

“You two are the cause of this, you know. Dragging me to your nerd depths.” He complains as the bell rings. The teen start walking again, careful not to be late. “I’ve been scarlet nerded by you, Scott. And Emma, you too, actually.” The spastic boy continues.

“Oh come on, I sit in front of Lydia in math. I think I’m actually very close to talking to her at one point in my life.” Emma says in a completely serious voice. Stiles just groans.

“Ugh, why did I ever become friends with you two?”

* * *

As Mr. Curtis drones on and on about the syllabus and the new semester, Emma finds herself tuning him out. Suddenly, Scott jerks his head around with a confused look on his face. He looks around before fixing his gaze outside the window, at a girl sitting on a bench. Emma taps her friend’s shoulder.

“You okay?” She leans forward and whispers. Scott nearly jumps out of his seat.

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, I’m fine,” He gives her a lopsided smile. The door opens and the vice principal walks in, holding the door for the girl Emma saw outside.

“Class, this is our new student, Allison Argent. Please do your best to make her feel welcome.” With that, he exits the classroom. Allison, the new girl, finds a seat to the right of Scott, who immediately hands her a pen. She gives him a weird look, then smiles and takes it.

“Thanks,” She says, and looks down at her paper. Scott turns around and finds Emma giving him an impressed look. Stiles, who sits next to Emma winks at him.

* * *

“Can someone tell me why the new girl is here all but five minutes, and she’s already part of Lydia’s clique?” Harley, a girl from Mr. Curtis’s class asks the trio with her hand on her hip.

“Because she’s hot. Beautiful people herd together.” Stiles says simply. Emma shrugs.

“I mean, he’s not wrong.”

“Seriously?” Harley asks, then she and Stiles dissolve into an argument about attractive people. Emma rolls her eyes, then notices Scott staring at Allison with a dopey grin. She snaps her fingers a few times in front of his face.

“Hey, lover boy!” She says. Scott blinks in surprise, then blushes, ashamed that he was caught. The boy mumbles something about lacrosse practice, then runs off.

“I will  _ never _ understand physical attraction.” Emma mutters to herself.

* * *

“But if you play, I’ll have no one to talk to on the bench! Are you really gonna do that to me?” Stiles complains as he, Scott, and Emma walk to the lacrosse field. 

“Stiles, I’ll be there with you. I’ll figure out a way to make Finstock let me sit with the players.” Emma says.

“But that’s different! C’mon, Scott!” Stiles begs.

“I can’t sit out again. My whole life is sitting on the sidelines. This season, I make first line.” Scott says as he dumps his bags next to the bench, Stiles following suit.

“Le Fay!” Finstock yells. Emma whips her head around in surprise. “I hope to see you in track.” She gives him a confused look.

“Coach, the season just ended.”

“Not the point! McCall, you’re in goal!” He tosses a lacrosse stick at the boy, who fumbles around to catch it. Emma gives him an encouraging thumbs up. She turns around to see Allison and Lydia sitting on the highest part of the bleachers. Lydia waves the girl over, and she turns around to make sure the popular girl wasn’t gesturing at someone else. As she makes her way over to the bleachers, Stiles grabs her arm.

“You better not screw this up.” He hisses. Emma’s eyes widen.

“I don’t think I have any control over that.” She grimaces, and the boy lets her go, giving her a look.

“Emma, right? You sit in front of me in math.” Lydia says.

“Uh--” Emma says dumbly, then regains her composure. “Yeah, yeah I do.” She says in shock, wondering how in the world Lydia Martin knew her name.

“I’m Allison, but you probably knew that already.” The new girl introduces herself with a small smile. She glances over at Scott.

“Who’s that?”

“Who, him?” Lydia responds. “I’m not sure who he is.”

“That’s Scott McCall. One of my best friends since seventh grade.” Emma says proudly, grinning at the goalie.

“Oh, okay.” Allison stares at him with something Emma could only describe as ‘heart eyes’. The whistle blows loudly, and Scott drops the stick, his hands flying up to cover his ears. Emma frowns. Sudden sensitive hearing? That wasn't normal. She shakes her head and brushes off the weird feeling, watching as a lacrosse player whips a ball into the goal. It hits Scott right in the face and knocks him over. The team roars with laughter.

“Hey, way to catch it with your face, McCall!” Someone jeers. Emma cringes with second hand embarrassment, but the boy just brushes himself off as he grabs his stick, rolling his shoulders backwards. As the second player launches a ball towards Scott, he holds the stick up and easily catches the ball. Emma’s jaw drops.

“Yeah, Scotty!” She yells. As the boy blocks ball after ball, the cheers grow louder.

“He seems like he’s pretty good.” Allison comments.

“Yeah, very good.” Lydia agrees. Emma’s grin only grows wider. Scott bounces on his toes, ready for the next person. Jackson pushes his way to the front of the line, obviously fuming. Scott stops bouncing and Emma’s smile disappears quickly, a concerned look replacing it. Jackson sprints toward the goal and brings his arms back, whipping the stick. Impossibly, Scott catches it in the net of his lacrosse stick. The crowd screams in favor of the goalie. Emma jumps up onto her feet and cheers loudly.

“That’s my friend!” Stiles calls out. Smirking, Scott tosses the ball over the back of his shoulder at the referee, who catches it, shell shocked.

* * *

“I don’t know what it was,” Scott says as the three teens cross the creek in the preserve. “It was like I had all the time in the world to catch the ball. And it’s not only that. I can… hear stuff I shouldn’t be able to hear, I can smell things…” He trails off.

“Smell things? Like what?” Stiles asks. Scott sniffs the air.

“Like the mint mojito gum in your pocket.” Stiles frowns, then digs his hand into his pocket.

“I don’t even have any--” He pulls out a green stick of gum, then stares at it in surprise. Scott shrugs, then turns around and keeps walking.

“Can I have it?” Emma asks. The boy hands it over and she pops it in her mouth happily.

“So all this started with a bite?” Stiles asks.

“What if it’s like an infection, like my body’s flooding with adrenaline before I go into shock or something?” Scott starts panicking.

“You know what, I think I’ve actually heard of this. It’s a specific kind of infection.” Stiles says, and Scott stops dead in his tracks.

“Are you serious?” He asks hopefully. 

“Yeah,” He responds. Knowing Stiles, Emma is certain that the boy with the buzzcut is completely not serious. So she stays silent, because it’s fun to mess around with Scott sometimes.

“Yeah, I think it’s called lycanthropy.” Stiles puts his hands on his hips.

“What’s that? Is it bad?” Scott demands.

“Oh, yeah, it’s the worst. But only once a month.” Emma pipes up. Scott glances at her.

“You know what this is too?”

The girl nods.

“The night of the full moon.” Stiles finishes dramatically and howls. The younger boy glares at him and shoves him with the palm of his hand. Stiles stumbles backwards and erupts into laughter, Emma joining in as well.

“Hey, you’re the one who heard a wolf howling.” He chuckles.

“There could be something seriously wrong with me!”

“Yeah, you’re a werewolf!” Stiles exclaims. He growls playfully. Emma laughs nervously. The boys didn’t know, but werewolves do in fact exist. However, there hasn’t been an alpha in Beacon Hills for over six years. Not since the infamous Hale fire. There was nothing to worry about, right? Emma’s best friend couldn’t possibly be a werewolf.

“Okay, come on! Obviously, I’m kidding. But, if you see me in shop class trying to melt all the silver I can find, it’s ‘cause Friday’s a full moon.” Stiles rambles. Scott suddenly stops, and points at the ground.

“I could’ve sworn this is it. I saw the body, the deer came running, and I dropped my inhaler.” He crouches down, sweeping at the leaves.

“Maybe the killer moved the body.” Stiles reasons.

“If he did, I hope he left my inhaler. Those things are like eighty bucks.”

Emma smiles, then looks up.

“Holy shit!” She squeals in shock. A man clad in a leather jacket appears out of nowhere. Stiles taps Scott on the shoulder a few times before he stands up awkwardly. The man storms toward the trio.

“What’re you doing here, huh?” He demands. Stiles averts his eyes and scratches the back of his head. The man sweeps his eyes over the three, his gaze lingering on Emma. Recognition flashes in his eyes for a brief second before he resumes his tough glare.

“This is private property.” He says fiercely.

“Uh, sorry, man, we didn’t know.” Stiles mumbles.

“Yeah, we were just looking for something…” Scott trails off. The man’s eyebrows flick up. “Uh… forget it.” the boy says. The older man tosses Scott’s inhaler at him before turning around and walking back to where he came from. “Alright, well I gotta get to work, so--”

“Dude! That was Derek Hale! You remember, right? He’s only a few years older than us.” Stiles interrupts him. Scott raises an eyebrow.

“Remember what?”

“His family?” Stiles asks rhetorically. “They all burned in a fire like six years ago.” Emma frowns. The Hale Pack. Realization floods her. When the le Fays first moved to Beacon Hills three years ago, the Hales were the first to greet them. She vaguely remembers an older woman with glowing red eyes thanking her father and aunt for coming back to the town.

“I wonder what he’s doing here?” Scott interrupts her thoughts. Stiles just scoffs.

“C’mon,” 

* * *

“Derek Hale? Are you sure?” Andrew asks his daughter for the hundredth time while pacing around the dining room.

“ _ Yes _ , Dad, I’m sure.” Emma sighs and puts her chin on the table.

“This certainly complicates things.”

“You don’t say?” Leo says drily from the other side of the table, 

“I assumed all the Hales died in the fire, but if one got out, who knows how many actually survived?”

Emma frowns.

“Um, would this be a bad time to mention that a new girl is in my English class?”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Leo asks.

“Well, her name is Allison. Allison Argent.” Emma reveals.

“Argent? As in the trigger happy hunters? Oh, boy. We’re doomed. They’re gonna kill us all.” Emma’s brother complains dramatically.

“Leo, be quiet.” Her father commands, and rubs his forehead. “We’ll figure it out. In the meantime, why don’t you two go to sleep. Emma, you have school tomorrow. And Leo, Aunt Morgan, and I figure something out tomorrow, okay?” The two siblings nod.

* * *

After school the next day, Stiles sits at his desk, keys clacking furiously as he goes from website to website, obsessing over anything that has to do with werewolves. He scoots his chair over to where a pile of old-looking books are, then opens one and flips through it. Paper after paper falls out of the printer.

“Hey, Stiles?” Emma asks from where she is lying on his bed, facing his ceiling.

“Mmhm?” He hums, not paying attention. The clicking resumes. Emma sighs, and hops off the bed. She grabs his chair and rolls him backwards. The girl grabs his chin and forces his face up.

“Emma,” He whines, struggling to return to the computer.

“Look at me,” She commands, then she narrows her eyes. “Stiles, did you take your Adderall today?” The boy purses his lips, trying to remember.

“Uh, I have no idea.”

Emma sighs, then releases him.

“I’m gonna take that as a no.”

Stiles pushes himself back to the computer, where he immediately starts typing again.

“So, what are you hyper-focusing on today?” She asks, sitting on the floor.

“Werewolves,” He answers simply, gaze still locked on the screen.

“Fitting,” The girl mutters, picking at his carpet. Someone knocks at Stiles’s bedroom door, and he jumps up, startled at the noise. The boy shuts his computer, then opens the door, praying for it to not be his dad. Thankfully, it’s a grinning sophomore. Stiles sighs in relief.

“Get in,” He demands, closing the door behind him.

“You’ve gotta see this. I’ve been up all night, reading. Websites, books, everything.” Scott nods at Emma as a greeting. She waves tiredly from the floor.

“Did you take your Adderall today?” Scott asks, concerned.

“Emma asked the same thing. Doesn’t matter.”  _ None. _ Emma mouths from the floor. “Okay, guys, just listen.”

“Is this about the body? Did they find out who did it?” Scott asks as he tosses his backpack into the corner and sits on the bed.

“No,” Stiles answers. “They’re still questioning people, even Derek Hale.” Emma frowns. She makes a note to tell her father later.

“Oh, the guy in the woods we saw the other day?”

Stiles waves his arms around frantically.

“Yeah! Yes! But that’s not it, okay?” The boy rambles. Scott laughs a little.

“What, then?”

“Remember the joke about the other day? Not a joke anymore.”

Scott just blinks in response. 

“The wolf! The bite in the woods!” He grabs a paper. “I started doing all this reading, Emma helped me a little.” He jumps up from his chair, now speaking loudly. “Do you even know why a wolf howls?”

“Should I?” Scott asks, unfazed.

“It’s a signal, right?” The blonde girl speaks up.

“Yes! Exactly! It howls to signal its location to the rest of the pack. So if you heard a wolf howling, that means others might have been nearby! Maybe it was a whole pack of them.” He explains excitedly. Scott’s jaw drops open.

“A whole  _ pack _ of wolves?” He asks. Stiles gives him a look.

“No, werewolves.”

Scott looks annoyed.

“Are you  _ seriously _ wasting my time with this?” He picks up his bag. “You know I’m picking Allison up in an hour.” He moves towards the door, but Stiles puts a hand on his shoulder.

“I-- I saw you on the field today, Scott. What you did today wasn’t just amazing, all right? It was impossible.” Stiles licks his lips.

“Something no human should be able to do.” Emma says quietly as she gets up from the floor. The pale boy nods in agreement. 

“They way you moved, your speed, your reflexes?” He grabs Scotts backpack and sets it on the bed again. “People can’t just suddenly do something like that overnight.” His voice gets higher and higher with every word. “And there’s the vision, and the senses, and don’t even think I don’t notice that you don’t use your inhaler anymore!” He says quickly.

“ _ Okay _ !” Scott finally yells. “Guys, I can’t really think about this now. We’ll talk about this tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Stiles explodes. “The full moon’s  _ tonight _ ! Don’t you get it?”

“What’re you trying to do? I just made first line, I got a date with a girl who I can’t believe wants to go out with me, and everything in my life is somehow perfect. Why are you trying to ruin it?” Scott demands. Emma shakes her head vigorously.

“We’re not trying to ruin your life, we’re trying to protect you! I can’t explain it, but I know things, and this is just a precaution, all right? Go out with her tomorrow! Just, whatever you do, do  _ not _ go out tonight.”

“You’re cursed, Scott.” Stiles sits down in his chair. “You know, it’s not just the moon that will cause you to physically change. It also just so happens to be when your bloodlust will be at its peak.”

“Bloodlust.” Scott spits.

“Yeah, your urge to kill.” The short-haired boy explains. Scott’s nostrils flare and he clenches his jaw.

“I’m already feeling an urge to kill, Stiles.”

The boy desperately tries to find something, anything, that will convince his friend to not go out that night. He picks up a tattered red book and starts reading from it.

“You gotta hear this:  _ The change can be caused by anger or anything that raises your pulse. _ ” He snaps the book shut and gives Scott a knowing look. “Alright? I haven’t seen anyone raise your pulse like Allison does.” He slams the book onto his printer and pushes past Scott, digging through his bag to find his phone. “I’m gonna call her right now.”

“Stiles I don’t think that’s the best--” Emma tries to say.

“What’re you doing?” Scott interrupts her.

“I’m cancelling the date!” He triumphantly holds up the phone and goes to the wall next to Emma.

“No, give it to me!” Scott roars as he slams Stiles into the wall. His fist is raised in the air and he almost swings at his best friend before a flash of blonde hair flies at him and tackles him to the ground. Scott growls and stands up quickly, shoving the chair into the ground with a crazed yell. The boy pants and realizes what he just did, a scared look overcoming his features.

“I-- I’m sorry.” He turns around, helping Emma up from the floor before he rushes to grab his stuff. “I gotta-- I gotta get ready for that… party.” He mutters as he walks toward the door. “I’m sorry,” He repeats. With that, he leaves.

“Stiles, you good?” Emma grimaces as she touches the side of her head gingerly. He nods wordlessly and moves to pick up his chair. As he sets it back up, the boy notices something. His eyes go wide.

“What is it?” Emma walks over to the chair. “Oh my god. You were right.” On the back of the chair are five claw marks.

* * *

“Can’t you go any faster?” Emma asks from the seat next to him. Stiles glares at her, his hands on the wheel of his jeep.

“I’m already going ten miles over the limit! I’m just hoping my dad or one of his deputies doesn’t catch me.” The boy responds. 

“He  _ better  _ not be at that stupid party right now.” Stiles fumes. The girl sighs, then leans her head on the window.

“Hey, Emma?” Stiles asks, his voice softer this time. The girl glances at him.

“Yeah?”

“Is… Is he gonna be okay?” The normally cheerful boy wonders, his voice a little shaky.

“I don’t know,” She responds truthfully.

* * *

Emma jumps out of the car before it can come to a full stop and dashes toward the McCall house. She slams her fist on the door.

“Scott? Scott, open the door, it’s us!” No response. Stiles catches up to her and pulls out a key. Gently pushing her aside, he inserts the key and unlocks the door.

“You have a key to his house?” Emma asks. Stiles smiles sheepishly.

“I had it made.”

“You know what, at this point, I’m not even surprised.” They run up the stairs and Stiles knocks on Scott’s bedroom door.

“Go away,” A muffled voice tells them.

“Scott? It’s me. It’s Stiles!”

“And Emma!” The girl adds. The lock clicks and Scott lets the door open just a crack. Stiles rams his body against it.

“Let us in, Scott! We can help.”

“No!” The boy says from the other side of the door. “Listen you gotta find Allison”

“She’s fine.” Emma promises.

“Yeah, I saw her get a ride from the party. She’s totally fine.” Stiles adds.

“No, I think I know who it is.” Scott says. Emma and Stiles give each other weird looks.

“What? Scott, just let us in!” The girl pounds on the door.

“It’s Derek. Derek Hale is the werewolf. He’s the one that bit me. He’s the one who killed the girl in the woods.” No, it can’t be. Derek Hale isn’t an alpha, right? How could that be possible? His mother couldn’t have raised a killer, she was too nice for that. And--

“Scott, Derek’s the one who drove Allison from the party.” Stiles interrupts her thoughts. His words are met with a second of silence, before Scott slams the door shut. Stiles punches the door in frustration.

“Scott!” He pleads. Suddenly, a growl erupts from nearby.

“Oh no. It’s starting.” Emma whispers.

* * *

Stiles pulls up into the Argent’s driveway, the wheels squeaking. He hops out of the car, Emma doing the same on the other side. The two teenagers sprint up the front stairs, Stiles spamming the doorbell frantically. 

“C’mon, c’mon, c’mon,” He mutters as he knocks on the door. It opens, an annoyed looking woman on the other side.

“Hi, Mrs. Argent.” Stiles breathes, leaning awkwardly on the doorframe. “You… have no idea who I am. I’m a friend of your daughter’s.”

“So am I,” Emma pops her head into the frame. The woman jumps a little, but regains her composure.

“This is gonna sound kinda crazy.  _ Really _ crazy, actually.” Stiles says. “You know what, crazy doesn’t even--”

“Allison!” Mrs. Argent calls out, interrupting the rambling boy. “It’s for you.”

The girl shows up, a confused look on her face.

“Oh thank god.” Stiles sighs in relief.

“Emma? And um…”

“Stiles,” He introduces himself. 

“We were uh… just making sure you got home okay.” Emma explains.

“Yep, just about to leave, actually…” The boy adds.

“Um, okay then,” Allison says slowly.

“See you tomorrow!” Emma says with a big, fake smile. With a wave, she walks back to the jeep quickly, Stiles right behind her.

Once they pull out of the driveway, Emma lets out a big breath.

“That was awful and I’m never doing it again.”

“Yep.” Stiles agrees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little something about ADHD in Teen Wolf. Okay so you know that scene where Scott’s like “How much Adderall have you had?” And Stiles says “A lot.”? I don’t think the writers know what Adderall actually does to a person with ADHD, so I fixed it. To simplify: When you take Adderall, you calm down, basically you act like a normal person without ADHD. When you forget your Adderall, you hyper-focus, you’re jittery, and you’re basically a mess. (but this is only for the combined type of ADHD) Again, Stiles most likely has this type, meaning he can’t concentrate AND he’s hyper. So uh yeah. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.
> 
> On a separate note, if anyone’s interested, there are three types of ADHD.  
> Type 1, which is predominantly inattentive (WITHOUT hyperactivity.) Before, it was commonly known as ADD, but it was renamed a few years ago. This is the form more commonly found in girls, but it can be found in both genders. (Fun fact: wait this isn’t actually fun but anyway, I have this type of ADHD. So does Annabeth Chase!)
> 
> Type 2 is predominantly hyperactive (WITHOUT inattention.) This is the form more commonly found in boys, but it can also be found in girls. It’s also the rarest form. Fictional characters with this form of ADHD include Leo Valdez.
> 
> Type 3 is combined type. This is the most common form of ADHD. It shows symptoms of both types. Fictional characters who have this include Percy Jackson and our very own Stiles Stilinski.  
> If you want to find more info on ADHD, you can go to this website: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/index.html


	4. 3: Oh Look, Half Of A Dead Body.

“Hey, uh… why does Scott look so miserable?” Emma pulls Stiles aside, dragging him toward the bleachers. The boy takes his helmet off.

“Well, basically, Allison’s dad is a hunter.”

“... Okay?”

“A  _ werewolf _ hunter.” Stiles clarifies.

“Okay,” Emma repeats slowly.

“Scott is a werewolf. Allison’s dad is a werewolf hunter. If Allison’s dad kills Scott, you and I are not gonna see him anymore because he’s gonna be dead! And-- wait you already know this, don’t you?” He realizes. Emma tries to put on a shocked expression, but fails miserably.

“Psh, what?” She scoffs. “No, that is… that’s definitely news to me.”

Stiles gives her a flat look. He opens his mouth to say something, but Coach Finstock blows his whistle.

“We’re gonna have a talk later, okay? Me, you, and Scott!” He yells and gestures towards her while running backwards. Emma gives him a fake smile and two thumbs up. As soon as he turns around she slaps her forehead.

“Ugh, Emma, you idiot.” She mutters to herself as she sits on the player’s bench. The girl feels a buzz from her pocket and takes out her phone, checking her messages.

Family Chat:

_ Aunt Morgan: So, Emma, what was the thing you were gonna tell us? _

_ Leo: yep, we’re all dying to know. _

_ Emma: um… Scott’s a werewolf. _

_ Leo: …  _

_ Leo: wHAT _

_ Morgan: Scott McCall? _

_ Emma: yeah… and that’s not even the worst part. _

_ he says Derek was the one who bit him. Derek Hale. _

_ Leo: haha what that’s not possible. dereks not an alpha _

_ Dad: I wouldn’t be so sure. A lot has changed since _

_ the last time we saw him. _

_ Leo: but derek? you do realize that this is the same guy that _

_ was the captain of my basketball team in high school right? _

_ man im just sitting here while hes turning people into freaking _

_ werewolves. _

_ Emma: kindly shut up, dear brother. _

_ Morgan: Can you try and get more information? _

_ Emma: yeah. but when am I gonna tell _

_ Scott and Stiles about our family? _

_ Dad: There will be an appropriate time, but now is not it. _

Emma sighs, and shuts off her phone, looking up at the lacrosse practice. She tracks Scott with her eyes and watches him get interrogated by Finstock, again. He slaps the boy on the back of his helmet, sending him to the front of the line.

“McCall’s gonna do it again! McCall’s gonna do it again!” Finstock mocks. Emma leans forward and bites her thumb nail in anticipation. She watches Scott sprints toward Jackson with newfound determination. Emma expects her friend to dodge the captain, but instead, he rams his shoulder harshly into the other boy’s body, completely knocking him into the ground. Immediately after, he stumbles away from Jackson’s writhing body and crashes to the ground, locking his hands around his helmet.

“Oh!” Stiles exclaims in surprise and rushes to Scott. Emma dashes over from the bleachers to help him.

“Scott-- what’s going on, are you okay?” She asks frantically as she grabs his shoulders.

“I-- I can’t control it, it’s happening!” He growls out, fangs visible through his helmet.

“What? Right here? Now?” Stiles sputters. “Alright, c’mere, get up!” He lifts him up by the shoulders and drags him past the bleachers, Emma right at their heels. They don’t notice a certain leather-clad man.

The two of them crash through the boy’s locker room, Scott stumbling into a wall as he rips off his lacrosse gloves. Emma looks on with a worried look on her face.

“Scott, can you hear me? Are you okay?” Stiles grabs the werewolf by his helmet and his mouth drops open when he sees his friend’s glowing gold eyes.

“Get  _ away _ from me!” Scott roars. Stiles and Emma scramble backwards, towards the wall of lockers. Scott leaps on top of a shelf of lockers and growls at his former friends. The two teenagers split up, darting around the small room to try and escape the werewolf. Scott crawls around the support beams, snarling. He jumps off, once again landing on the metal boxes, cornering the two teens. Emma makes a very impulsive decision and yells at Stiles to take the fire extinguisher and get behind the lockers. He nods and grabs the red tank, then tries to escape, but Scott growls at him, daring him to move.

“Hey, fur-face!” The girl distracts him. He bares his teeth, his attention now on the girl. “Go, Stiles!” She yells at her friend, and he darts off. She closes her eyes before opening them again to reveal  [ glowing white eyes ](https://media0.giphy.com/media/13bWsniZXvBRao/giphy.gif) . Scott drops down from the lockers, and surges towards the girl. She slides through his legs, baseball-style and pops back up behind him. Before he can turn around, Emma sweeps her leg at his ankles, sending him to the concrete floor.

“Now, Stiles!”

The boy emerges from behind a wall and sprays both of the supernaturals with the fire extinguisher before quickly hiding back from where he came from. Emma coughs, waving her hand in front of her face. She smacks her lips in disgust, not particularly liking the taste of the chemicals. A groan sounds from the ground. Scott tugs off his helmet, his hair matted and stuck on his sweaty face. 

“What happened?” He pants. Stiles sighs in relief, dropping the red tank to the ground with a clang.

“You tried to kill us.” He responds casually, ripping his gloves off and throwing them on the ground. “It’s like I told you before, it’s the anger.” He helps the werewolf lean against the wall. “It’s your pulse rising, that’s a trigger.”

“But-- but that’s lacrosse!” Scott whines. “It’s a pretty violent game, if you haven’t noticed.”

“It’s gonna be a lot more violent if you end up  _ killing  _ someone on the field.” The short-haired boy responds.

“You can’t play on Saturday, you’re gonna have to get out of the game.” Emma adds.

“I’m first line,” 

“Not anymore,” Stiles purses his lips.

* * *

Emma spins on her chair, eating Cheez-its. She doesn’t feel like doing her homework, and besides, she’s expecting a Skype call from Stiles any minute now. As if on cue, the familiar ringtone starts playing from her computer. The girl quickly accepts the call and stuffs her face with more Cheez-its. Stiles shoots a lime-green toy gun at the screen with a grin and Scott gives him an exasperated look.

“What’d you find out?” He asks.

“Well, it’s bad. Jackson’s got a separated shoulder.” Stiles replies. Emma wrinkles her nose.

“Because of me?”

“No, because he’s a  _ tool _ .” Stiles purses his lips.

“Is he gonna play?”

“Why are you so worried, I thought you hated him.” Emma points out.

“Because now, they’re counting on Scott for Saturday’s game.” Stiles answers for him. Scott sighs and hangs his head. A shadow appears behind him and Emma and Stiles both notice. The older boy leans closer to the screen, concerned. Scott tilts his head to the side.

“What?” He asks.

Emma gestures to an area behind her own shoulder as Stiles types something in the chat.

**Stiles** : It looks like

The boy starts lagging, his face becoming pixelated. Emma frantically points at her shoulder again, trying to be quiet so she doesn’t alert the figure behind Scott.

“It looks like what?” He asks, completely oblivious to his friends’ warnings. Stiles’s face is still frozen with a look of horror.

“Dammit!” Scott curses. “C’mon,” He says to his computer. It unfreezes, and the second part of the message reveals itself.

**Stiles** : Someone’s behind you

“What?” Scott whispers and looks behind him. Immediately, the figure surges forward, grabbing Scott by the neck and slamming him against his own wall. The sophomore squirms around. 

“Oh my god, Scott!” Emma shrieks and jumps off her chair in a panic, her Cheez-its spilling on her floor. She takes a closer look, noticing that the two people on the other side of the screen were having a conversation, but the sound is too muffled for her to understand anything. Leaning forward, she squints her eyes, making out a leather jacket in the dark background. Derek. Suddenly, the man releases her friend and exits the frame. Scott pants heavily and returns to his desk.

“Hey, I’m gonna go, see you tomorrow.” He mumbles.

“Wait-- no, let’s talk about this!” Stiles says quickly.

“Scott, don’t you dare hang--” He ends the call. “--up,” Emma finishes, slumping against her chair.

* * *

Stiles grabs Scott and Emma’s arms and drags them over to the stairs.

“What?” The younger boy spits. Emma shakes off Stiles’s hand and raises an eyebrow at him.

“Tell me what they’re saying.” Stiles demands excitedly. He points at his dad and another police officer talking to a teacher. Scott stares at them for a few seconds, then turns back towards his friends.

“Curfew because of the body,” He explains. Stiles huffs.

“Unbelievable. My dad’s out looking for a rabid animal while the jerk-off who  _ actually  _ killed the girl is just hanging out, doing whatever he wants.”

“We don’t exactly know for sure if he actually did it.” Emma points out helpfully. Stiles gives her a look.

“But if it  _ is _ Derek, we can’t tell your dad the truth about him.”

“I can do  _ something _ .” Stiles purses his lips in determination.

“Like what?” Scott asks flatly.

“Find the other half of the dead body?” The boy responds with a slight smile. His friends blink at him.

“Are you  _ kidding _ ?” Scott says rhetorically.

“You know, sometimes I wonder how we ever became friends with him.” Emma says with a sideways glance to Scott. 

* * *

Stiles slams open the door to the McCall house and dashes up the stairs, two at a time. Emma follows him, closing the door behind her and running up the stairs as well. 

“Stiles, hold on!” She calls out as she hears his feet thundering on the wood. “Oh, boy,” She sighs, then walks down the hallway and into Scott’s room.

“What did you find? How’d you find it? Where did you find it?” Stiles mashes his words together, limbs flying all over the place. 

“Jesus  _ christ _ , Stiles, did you even take your Adderall today?” The girl asks, folding her arms. He shakes his head wildly.

“I found something at Derek Hale’s.” Scott says, unfazed.

“Are you kidding? What?” Stiles bursts out.

“There’s something buried there. I could smell blood.”

“That’s awesome!” Stiles exclaims. Emma glares at him. “I mean, that’s terrible. Who’s blood?” He rubs the back of his head.

“I don’t know. But when we do, your dad nails Derek for the murder. And then you two can help me play lacrosse without changing.” He tightens his net. “Because there’s  _ no _ way I’m not playing that game.”

* * *

The three teens enter the sliding doors of the hospital, trying not to look suspicious.

“Found it,” Emma points out a sign that says ‘Morgue’.

“Okay,” Scott takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.

“Good luck, I guess.” Stiles says oh-so-helpfully. Scott looks both directions before sneaking into the chilly room. The older boy walks up to the reception desk while Emma sits at a chair next to the entrance. Suddenly, Stiles sees something past Emma’s view. He goes to talk to a person, his arm leaning on the wall, trying to look cool. Emma frowns, straining to hear, but she can’t get anything. Stiles comes back, looking dejected as he flops down in the seat next to her.

“What was that?” Emma asks. Stiles pouts.

“Lydia. I tried talking to her, thought she was listening, but the whole time, she was on a call with someone.” He says miserably. The girl pats his shoulder awkwardly.

“I mean, at least you got some practice?” She tries to make him feel better. It wasn’t her fault, romantic relationships just weren’t exactly her forte. Stiles just sits there, a scowl on his face.

Jackson appears from around the corner, clutching his shoulder. He says something that causes Lydia to share a deep kiss with him. The two friends look on, Emma with disgust and Stiles with jealousy.

“The scent was the same,” Scott tells them as he rips a book on the menstrual cycle out of Stiles’s hands. He squeals, then recovers quickly.

“You sure?” The flannel-clad boy asks. 

“Yes,”

“Huh. So he  _ did _ bury the other half of the body on his property.” Stiles muses.

“Which means we have proof he killed the girl.”

“Guys, I don’t think this is the best--” Emma tries to add, but Stiles interrupts her.

“I say we use it.” He says simply, and walks away, not bothering to listen to what Emma and Scott has to say.

“Hold on, what?” The girl asks.

“How are we supposed to use it?” Scott asks, which makes Stiles turn around.

“Tell me something first. Are you doing this because you want to stop Derek, or because you want to play in the game and he said you couldn’t?”

“Well, when you put it that way…” Emma trails off, looking up at the taller boys. Scott pauses for a moment and thinks.

“There were bite marks on the legs, guys.  _ Bite marks _ .” He says with a determined nod.

“Okay, then we’re gonna need a shovel.” Stiles concludes, then clasps his hands on his friends’ shoulders.

* * *

Stiles pulls up to the Hale House with a squeak, and the three teens hop out of the jeep.

“Man, this place is creepy.” Emma mutters as she reaches into the car to grab a flashlight. Stiles huffs, his breath clouding in front of his face. The three make their way towards the side of the house before Scott pauses, sniffing the air like a dog.

“Wait, something’s different.”

“Different how?” Stiles asks, sweeping his flashlight across the land.

“I don’t know…” Scott sighs. “Let’s just get this over with.” With that, he jams his shovel into the soft earth, Stiles following suit. Emma clicks on her flashlight and shines it on the growing hole, fidgeting.

“Can you hold still?” Stiles pauses and glares at her, his eyes squinting at the bright light. Emma stops and stands there awkwardly.

“Yeah, okay.” She mutters, and digs her toe into the dirt. Her eyes dart around warily, expecting a certain someone to appear out of nowhere.

“This is taking way too long.” Scott grunts after a few minutes of digging.

“Just keep going,” Stiles replies.

“What if he comes back?” The shaggy-haired boy pauses and rubs the back of his hand across his forehead.

“Then we get the hell out of here.” Stiles stops digging too.

“What if he catches us?”

“I have a plan for that.”

“Which is…?” Emma butts in. The two boys look up at her.

“Scott runs one way, you run another way, and I go wherever you guys aren’t running to. Whoever he catches first, too bad.” Stiles explains, obviously having thought this out beforehand.

“I  _ hate _ that plan.” Scott gives him an offended look and goes back to hacking at the soil with his shovel.

“Yeah, it kind of seems a little unfair, seeing as Scott is a werewolf and I run track.” Emma says casually.

“I mean, I guess so… Wait what?” 

Before Stiles can utter another word, Scott hits something with a dull thud.

“Hold on, stop, stop stop.” Stiles chatters, then tosses his shovel outside the hole. He bends down and brushes at the dirt, revealing some ropes. Scott helps too, and Emma darts her head around, trying to get a better look.

“Hurry!” Scott demands as Stiles tries to untangle the ropes.

“Yeah, I’m trying. Did he have to tie the thing in like, nine hundred knots?” Stiles shoots back. They work together, undoing the rope with shaky hands. The flannel-clad boy unfolds the canvas and a wolf’s head with milky eyes stares back at them. All three of them jump backward with undignified screams of terror. 

“What the  _ hell _ is that?” Stiles yells, his voice cracking slightly.

“It’s a wolf!” Scott says in surprise.

“ _ No,  _ I thought it was a goldfish! Yeah, no  _ shit _ , Sherlock, of  _ course _ it’s a wolf!” Emma snaps from above them, clinging her jacket around her tightly.

“I thought you said you smelled blood, as in  _ human _ blood.” Stiles pants, still recovering. Scott just shrugs.

“I told you guys something was different.” Scott says, a smug undertone to his voice.

“This doesn’t make sense.” Stiles sputters.

“We gotta get out of here.”

“Okay, help me cover this up.”

As Scott and Stiles scramble to cover up the dead wolf, Emma shines her flashlight on an odd plant. It’s a familiar-looking purple flower in the middle of the ground. She frowns. It’s the middle of January, why was there a flower there? And in that specific spot?

“Uh, guys?”

“What’s wrong?” Scott asks, not looking up.

“Maybe I’m being really paranoid, but that flower seems really familiar, and I can’t exactly remember what it is, but it’s giving me some weird vibes.” She swallows nervously, anxiety creeping up on the back of her neck. Stiles looks at where she’s shining the light and his eyes widen.

“I think it’s wolfsbane.” He says quietly. Scott wrinkles his nose and gives them a confused look.

“What’s that?”

Stiles scoffs.

“Haven’t you ever seen  _ The Wolf Man _ ?”

He shakes his head.

“Lon Chaney Jr.? Claude Rains?”

“... No?”

“The original, classic werewolf movie?” Stiles raises his voice, almost offended that his friend had no pop culture knowledge.

“No, what?” Scott fumes.

“You are  _ so _ unprepared for this.” Stiles exhales sharply through his nose and gets up, kneeling in front of the flower. Scott glances up at Emma, silently asking for an explanation, but she only offers him a shrug. Stiles grabs the wolfsbane and gives it a quick tug, unearthing it. A rope is attached to the roots. The boy starts grabbing at the rope, coiling it in his hands as he moves around the grave. As he finishes pulling it out, a red spiral hums around them, glowing unnaturally. It fades after pulsing for a few seconds.

Scott glances down at the hole and gasps.

“Hey,”

Emma cranes her neck to look down and flinches.

“Holy--” Stiles exclaims in horror. In place of the dark wolf was a girl with matted hair and skin covered in dirt. Her eyes are blank, staring at nothing.

“Well, I guess we found it.” Emma breathes, shoving her hands in her jacket pockets.


	5. 4: Scott Almost Hulks Out On A Field

Emma’s eyes follow Derek as he’s led out of his house, an unreadable expression on her face. A deputy guides him into the backseat of a police car. As the man gets in, he stares at Scott, who shoves his hands into his pockets and averts his eyes. Stiles casually walks up to the car, ignoring Scott’s flapping arms and Emma’s whispered threats. Right as he is about to open the door, he gives them a small wave and a grin, then disappears into the vehicle.

“Oh my god he’s gonna get himself killed.” Emma hisses to Scott, who gives her a panicked look. Stiles stays in the car for about thirty seconds before his dad grabs him by his upper arm and drags him to the front. The girl puts her face in her hands and groans in embarrassment. 

“There.  _ Stand _ .” Noah Stilinski orders. He sighs. “What the  _ hell _ do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m just trying to help!” Stiles puts his hands on his hips.

“Uh huh. Okay, well, how ‘bout you help me understand exactly how you came across this?” The sheriff narrows his eyes at his son.

“We were looking for Scott’s inhaler.”

“Which he dropped when…?”

“The other night,”

“... The other night when you and Emma were looking for the first half of the body?”

“ _ Yes _ ,” Stiles huffs. From a few feet away, Emma and Scott spy on them.

“Please don’t say anything stupid.” Emma prays.

“The night you told me you and Emma were alone and Scott was at home.”

“ _ Yes _ ,” Stiles repeats, then catches himself a bit too late. His face morphs into horror. “No. Oh,  _ crap _ .”

“I freaking  _ swear _ …” Emma snarls, about to jump out from behind the jeep, but Scott grabs her shoulder and pulls her back. She grumbles something about Stiles being an insufferable idiot who deserves to be strangled.

“So you lied to me.” Sheriff Stilinski says, not surprised at all.

“Well, that depends on how you defend lying.” Stiles tries to defend himself.

“I define it as not telling the truth. How do you define it?”

Stiles thinks for a moment before answering. He exhales deeply, looking a bit like a pufferfish.

“Reclining your body in a horizontal position?” He sweeps his hands in front of him and smiles sweetly.

“Get the hell out of here.” His father sighs.

“A--absolutely.” He scratches his head.

* * *

Stiles makes a sharp turn with his jeep in the forest, making Emma hit the side of the car.

“If you installed seatbelts back here, I wouldn’t be complaining every time we have to carpool.”

“Well if you were three months older, you would be able to drive.” Stiles shoots back.

“Oh that’s clever, joking about my age. You know, you’re probably gonna die before me, since you’re so old--”

“Guys. Shut it.” Scott sighs. “I can’t find anything about wolfsbane being used for burial.” He taps angrily at his phone screen.

“Just keep looking. Maybe it’s like a ritual or something, like maybe they bury you as a wolf. Or maybe it’s like a special skill you know, like something you have to learn.” Stiles wonders.

“I’ll put it on my to-do list.” Scott grumbles. “Right underneath figuring out how the  _ hell _ I’m supposed to play this game tonight.”

“Maybe it’s different for girl werewolves.” Stiles continues, ignoring Scott.

“ _ Okay _ , stop it!” Scott spits. Emma licks her lips nervously, trying to think of the best way

to cool him down.

“Stop what?” Stiles asks, completely oblivious. Emma wants to slam his face into the

steering wheel, but holds herself back.

“Stop saying ‘werewolves’! Stop enjoying this so much!”

“Scott? You okay?” Emma rests her chin in between their seats. Stiles lets out a

high-pitched noise, swerving the car.

“No!  _ No _ , I’m not. I’m so  _ far _ from being okay!”

“You know, you’re gonna have to accept this sooner or later.”

“Really not helping, Stiles.” Emma sing-songs.

“I  _ can’t _ ,” Scott squints his eyes shut.

“Well you’re gonna have to!”

“ _ No _ , I can’t breathe!” He slams his hand against the roof of the car and cries out in

agony. Stiles jerks the wheel to the right, the tires squeaking.

“Stiles, pull over!” Emma yells at him.

“What? Why, what’s happening?”

Scott rips open Stiles’s backpack, revealing the wolfsbane rope.

“You  _ kept _ it?” The werewolf roars.

“Well, what was I supposed to do with it?” He retorts.

“Oh, maybe chuck it in the trash? You know, like a  _ normal _ person?” Emma reappears in between the seats.

“Stop the car!” Scott growls, his eyes flashing gold. Stiles’s mouth drops open and he obeys, slamming his foot on the brake. Emma shoots forward, her torso hitting the seats in front of her. Both the supernaturals groan in pain as Stiles scrambles out of the car and flings the bag deep into the preserve.

“Okay, we’re good,” He breathes and turns around. Emma’s splayed in the backseat, blinking as if she has something in her eyes. Scott’s missing entirely, the passenger seat clanging as it closes.

* * *

“Stiles, you know you can’t call the dispatch line when I’m on duty.” A lady on the phone says.

“We just need to know if you’ve gotten any odd calls.” Emma pipes up from the passenger seat.

“Odd how? And who is this?”

“Uh, like an odd person, or… a dog-like individual roaming the streets?” Stiles ignores the question.

“I’m hanging up on you now. Goodbye.”

“No, wait, wait wait--” The line clicks. Stiles lets out a frustrated sound as he throws his phone into the backseat.

* * *

Emma climbs the bleachers and finds a seat next to Scott’s mom. She looks around, trying to see if Scott’s there.

“Hey, Emma, I haven’t seen you much since school started again! How are you and your brothers?”

For a second, she forgets that Arthur is her brother in public, then she remembers.

“Oh! Yeah, they’re fine. Leo’s taking a gap year before going to college, so that’s been an absolute delight, as you can probably guess.” She shrugs, still distracted.

“Well, I’m sure it’s okay, since he skipped Kindergarten, right?” Melissa laughs. Emma’s surprised she remembers. She sees a flash of a maroon jersey with the number eleven on it, and visibly sighs in relief.

“Oh thank god,”

Melissa looks at her weirdly. Emma clears her throat.

“Um, I just really love lacrosse, you know? Great game…” She trails off awkwardly. Before she can embarrass herself even further, the whistle blows, signaling the start of the game.

The Cyclones start off rocky, accidentally passing the ball to their opponents, the Mystic Falls Timberwolves. This happens a few more times before Jackson crashes into one of the guys on the other team. The ball goes flying, and both Jackson and Scott make a beeline for it. Just as Scott goes to pick it up, the captain of the team shoulder-checks him, making him tumble on the grass. Jackson scoops up the ball and whips it into the goal, scoring their first point. The crowd goes wild, screaming and cheering Jackson’s name, but Emma just huffs in annoyance. Melissa hesitantly stands up, clapping politely with a tight smile. A white poster catches Emma’s eyes, and she turns around to see a certain redhead along with a taller brunette holding up a sign that says, “We luv you Jackson” in disgusting, blocky letters. Emma wrinkles her nose in distaste, and gives the two girls a disapproving glare. Lydia doesn’t see her, but Allison gives her an apologetic smile and a shrug. She turns around to see Scott, staring at the large piece of paper, fury clear in his eyes. He scoffs, then turns around, his chin high.

As the team gathers for a huddle without Scott, he hunches over, breathing heavily. It forms in a white cloud in front of his face. The ref gives him a concerned look.

“You okay, kid?”

Scott nods slowly, not looking up. Emma taps Melissa on the shoulder frantically.

“Um, I’ll be right back. Gotta give Stiles a pep talk and uh… yeah.” She excuses herself, then scrambles down the bleachers.

“But he isn’t even playing!” Melissa realizes too late. Meanwhile, Emma slides onto the players’ bench.

“Hey, what’s going on?” She asks Stiles in a hushed voice.

“I don’t know.” He fidgets, glancing around nervously.

“C’mon, Scott, you’re okay.” Emma whispers. The werewolf finally looks up, but not at his two friends. His eyes narrow, and Stiles and Emma both look behind them at yet another large, white poster. This time it says, “Jackson is #1!”. Lydia holds it up proudly, but Allison hides her face as she reluctantly helps her friend. Emma raises an eyebrow at the two of them, again, and turns around.

The whistle blows, and Scott takes control this time. He flings the ball into the air, flipping over an opponent and landing solidly on his feet, catching it with ease. Stiles’s jaw drops open. He dodges all the players with superhuman speed and agility and whips the ball into the net, almost tying the score. Stiles and Emma jump up, screaming nonsense at each other as they high five.

“McCall! Pass it to McCall!” Finstock cups his hands over his mouth and yells at his team.

A few seconds later, the Timberwolves have possession of the ball, but after being confronted by Scott, the smaller player gives it up, whimpering. Finstock sits in between Stiles and Emma, ignoring her weird look.

“Did the opposing team just deliberately pass us the ball?” He questions.

“Yes, I believe so, Coach.” Stiles chews on his glove, leg bouncing nervously.

“Interesting…” He muses.

“Yeah, very,” Emma furrows her eyebrows. She tracks Scott with her eyes, watching him dart in between the players and whip the ball straight into the Timberwolves’ goalie’s stick. The ball rips through it and goes straight into the goal. The crowd cheers in favor of Scott as he finally ties the score.

“That’s our best friend!” Stiles yells in Emma’s face, making her nod enthusiastically.

A high pitched whistle cuts through the air, marking the start of the play. Jackson scoops up the ball and throws it at Scott, who grabs it and makes his way towards the goal.

“C’mon, Scott, shoot it!” Stiles mutters, bouncing on his seat. With only three seconds left on the clock, he cranks his arm back and whips the ball into the net, winning the game. Stiles jumps up and whoops, grabbing Emma by the wrist and making her laugh. They run over to the middle of the field to congratulate Scott, but he’s nowhere to be found. So, the two teens return to the now-empty bleachers, where Stiles’s dad talks on the phone.

“Uh huh,” He says, his eyebrows scrunched together.

“Dad, what’s wrong?” Stiles asks with worried eyes.

* * *

Emma and Stiles dash into the boys’ locker room, looking for Scott. They weren’t expecting him to be making out with the new girl. Emma lets out a squeak of surprise as Stiles yanks her behind a rack of lockers, effectively hiding them.

“I gotta get back to my dad.” Allison whispers to Scott, then turns to leave. As soon as the door clicks shut, The two reveal themselves.

“I kissed her!” Scott beams.

“We saw,” Stiles says with a nod.

“She kissed  _ me _ !” His smile grows wider.

“We also saw that,” Emma adds.

“That’s pretty good, huh?” The boy with the buzzcut asks. Scott sighs contentedly.

“I-I don’t know how, but I controlled it. I pulled it back. Maybe I  _ can _ do this. Maybe it’s not that bad.”

“Yeah,” Stiles lets out a short laugh. “We’ll talk later, then.” He claps Scott on the shoulder and turns to leave, giving Emma a little wave on his way out, but she grabs his shoulder and steers him back.

“Tell him,” The short girl commands. Stiles pouts and decides his shoes are very interesting.

“The uh, medical examiner looked at the other half of the body we found.”

“And…?” Scott waits for him to continue.

“Well, I’ll keep it simple.” Stiles licks his lips. “Medical examiner determines killer of girl to be animal and not human. Derek’s human, not animal. Derek not killer. Derek let out of jail.”

“Also, Derek probably very angry, and want to smash you into little pulp.” Emma smacks her fist into her palm, smiling sweetly. Stiles raises his eyebrows at her.

“What?” She asks. He just rolls his eyes. Scott goes slack-jawed.

“Are you  _ kidding _ me?”

“No, and here’s the real kick in the ass. My dad ID’d the dead girl. Both halves. Her name was Laura Hale.”

Emma freezes. She wasn’t informed about this part. Maybe it would’ve been better if she stayed for five extra seconds instead of darting off to find Scott.

“ _ Hale _ ?” Scott gasps.

“Derek’s sister,” Emma says softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Ooo, Mystic Falls High has a little cameo! (No, this isn't a crossover. Just a little random thing.)


	6. 5: Scarfboy and (anti-) Lovergirl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Yes, the chapter name is supposed to be based on Sharkboy and Lavagirl. I’m sorry. But not really lmao.)

“So you killed her?” Stiles asks bluntly as he opens the door.

“I dunno,” Scott responds. “I just woke up. I was sweating like crazy, and I couldn’t breathe. I’ve never had a dream where I woke up like that before.”

“Really?” Stiles says in disbelief. “I have. Usually ends a little differently.”

Emma groans in disgust.

“Ew, Stiles. Get your horny teenage ass outta here.”

“Oh yeah? Well, you should know that you asexuals only make up like, one percent of the entire world, so--”

“I meant that I’ve never had a dream that felt that real.” Scott interrupts his rant. “On another note, never give me that much detail about you in bed again.”

Emma smirks.

“Noted,” Stiles puffs out his cheeks and lets the air out slowly. “Let me take a guess here--”

“No, I know.” Scott interrupts him, yet again. “You think this has something to do with me going out with Allison tomorrow. Like I’m gonna lose control and rip her throat out.”

“No, of _course_ not.” Stiles hesitates. “Yeah, that’s totally it.”

Emma slaps her forehead.

“It’s gonna be fine, Scott. You have nothing to worry about.” Emma tries to comfort him.

“Yeah, personally, I think you’re handling this pretty freaking amazingly. You know, it’s not like a lycanthropy for beginners class you can take.”

“Not a class, but maybe a teacher.”

“Like Derek?” Emma asks.

“What?” Stiles screeches. He smacks Scott and Emma in the back of their heads. “Are you guys forgetting the part where we got him tossed in jail?”

Emma grimaces. Once her father finds out, she’ll never see the light of day again. The Hales and le Fays were incredibly loyal to each other before the fire. Arthur would kill her for jeopardizing any relationships.

“I know,” She vaguely hears Scott say. “But chasing her, dragging her to the back of the bus, it felt so _real_.”

“How real?” Stiles asks.

“Like it actually happened,” Scott opens the door leading to the parking lot.

“Well, I’m sure it’s nothing. You have a really active imagination--” Emma stops mid-sentence and gapes at the scene in front of her. A school bus covered in bloody handprints and overrun with various detectives and police officers litter the parking lot.

“I take it back. I think it _did_ happen” She cringes, internally yelling at herself for being so blunt.

“Oh no,” Scott says simply.

* * *

“She’s probably fine.” Stiles insists as the three of them hurry down the hall.

“She’s not answering my texts!” Scott frets.

“You know, it could just be a coincidence, all right? A seriously amazing coincidence.” He tries to make him feel better.

“Yeah, maybe you’ve got some weird clairvoyant power now that you’re a werewolf!”

Stiles squints his eyes at Emma.

“Shut up. Just help me find her, okay?” Scott snaps, whipping his head and looking for a familiar tall, dimpled, brunette. He tugs at his hair, darting around the hallways, Emma loses him in the crowd, frowning as she tries to see over the sea of heads.

“Stiles, you see anything?” She turns around, looking for the taller boy, but there’s no sign of him. “... Stiles?” Emma trails off. She grumbles and whips out her phone, sending the two of them a quick text.

**Three Musketeers :)**

_Pipsqueak: you guys okay?_

_Stupid Stilinski: yep, all good. sorry i kinda_

_lost you, i guess youre too short lol_

_Pipsqueak: ew get away from me, asshole_

_Scoot McCoot: I found allison. She’s ok_

_Pipsqueak: oh thank god. srsly tho u guys need to tell_

_me if ur gonna run off like that_

Emma walks to her seat next to Scott and drops her backpack on the ground, rolling her shoulders back.

“Really, Stiles? You could’ve waited for me!” She glares at him playfully.

“Well, it’s not my fault you’re a pipsqueak.” He shoots back.

“Excuse you, five foot four is actually the national average, so--”

“Maybe it was my blood on the door.” Scott says suddenly. Emma and Stiles share a concerned look, then look back at him.

“Could’ve been animal blood.” Stiles reasons. “You know, maybe you caught a rabbit or something.”

“And did _what_?”

“... Ate it.”

Scott’s face morphs into pure horror.

“ _Raw_?”

Stiles purses his lips.

“No, you stopped to bake it in your little werewolf oven. I don’t know, you’re the one who can’t remember anything.”

Harris clears his throat, hands on his hips.

“Mr. Stilinski, if that’s your idea of a hushed whisper, you might want to pull the headphones out every once in a while. I think you and Mr. McCall would benefit from a little distance, yes?”

“What? _No_!” Emma exclaims.

“You too, Ms. le Fay.” He points to somewhere across the room.

Emma groans, but picks up her things and trudges over to the back of the room, next to a nervous-looking boy with curly blond hair and a scarf. She manages a wry smile and promptly drops her stuff harshly onto the table, glaring at her teacher.

“Hey, I think they found something!” Harley jumps up from her seat, running over to the windows. Chairs squeak as the rest of the class follows. Outside the window, three EMTs wheel a person towards a flashing ambulance.

“That’s not a rabbit.” Scott gulps as he whispers to his friends. Emma shakes her head. Suddenly, the man on the gurney sits up, howling. The class lets out a surprised scream and jumps backward as a group.

“This is good, this is good. He got up, he’s not dead.” Stiles grips Scott and Emma’s shoulders as he backs them up away from the rest of their classmates.

“Yeah, dead guys can’t scream like that.” Emma adds, biting her nails. Scott fixes his gaze on the ambulance.

“Guys… I did that.”

* * *

Emma grabs a bottle of water, smiling at the lunch lady behind the counter. She glares back. The girl swallows nervously and rushes away. She walks quickly to catch up with Scott and Stiles, but a certain strawberry blonde steps in her way, effectively blocking her.

“Oh, hey, Lydia!” Emma says too loudly. She cringes. “Sorry,”

The girl waves the apology off.

“So, me and Jackson are going out and we were planning on persuading Allison and Scott to come along, so I found you a date.” She says matter-of-factly.

“Actually, Lydia, I don’t exactly… like boys. Or girls. Or anyone, actually?” Her voice goes higher at the end of the sentence, making it sound like a question.

“Yeah. I know.” Lydia says in a ‘duh’ voice. “Your date doesn’t either. So his name is--”

“Wait what? You know?” Emma interrupts her

“I mean, I’ve been going to school with you since seventh grade. Also, it’s kinda obvious. Anyway, his name is Isaac, and he’s on the lacrosse team. Super sweet, kinda shy, but probably gives good hugs because he’s really tall. You in?”

“I--” A warm feeling spreads throughout her body. On the outside, Lydia seems to be a shell of a human, cold and distant. But on the inside, she’s actually a surprisingly decent person.

“So? Are you coming?” She repeats.

“Yeah. Yeah, okay.” Emma smiles. A grin spreads across the slightly shorter girl, and she grabs her friend’s hand.

“Great.” Lydia drags Emma over to where Scott and Stiles are currently sitting.

“We’ll figure it out.” Stiles insists, still paying attention to Scott.

“Figure what out?” Lydia asks as she sets her food down. Emma follows, plopping down in between her and Scott with a sheepish smile.

“Just uh, homework.” Stiles lets out a breathy laugh, staring at Lydia with heart eyes, before looking at Scott with a panicked glare.

“Why is she sitting with us?” He hisses.

“I don’t know!” Scott whispers back, equally alarmed. Emma kicks them both under the table. Just then, the rest of Lydia’s crew appears. 

“Get up,” Jackson demands a boy at the head of the table.

“How come you never ask Danny to get up?” He complains.

“Because _I_ don’t stare at his girlfriend’s coin slot.” Danny says smugly. Jackson just shoves the boy out of the seat, making him grumble as he finds a seat much farther away.

“So, I hear they’re saying it’s some sort of animal attack.” Danny bites into his apple. “Probably a cougar?”

“I heard it was a mountain lion.” Jackson argues, leaning back and putting his knee on the table.

“A cougar _is_ a mountain lion.” Lydia corrects. Jackson raises an eyebrow at her.

“Isn’t it?” Lydia puts on a confused face. Her boyfriend purses his lips.

“Who cares? The guy’s probably some homeless tweaker who’s gonna die anyway.”

Emma fumes and opens her mouth to retaliate.

“Listen, shit-face--”

“Actually,” Stiles says loudly. “I just found out who it is. Check it out.” He starts a video on his phone.

“ _The Sheriff’s department won’t speculate on details on the incident, but confirmed the victim, Garrison Meyers, did survive the attack. Meyers was taken to a local hospital where he remains in critical condition_.” A tinny voice says from the speaker. Scott gasps.

“I-I know this guy!” He stutters. 

“You do?” Allison and Emma ask at the same time. 

“Yeah, when I used to take the bus back when I lived with my dad. He was the driver.”

Stiles leans back in his chair, his mouth parted.

“Can we talk about something slightly more fun, please?” Lydia twirls her fork in the air. “Like, oh, where we’re going tomorrow night? Allison, you said you and Scott were hanging out tomorrow, right?” 

The taller girl nods, her mouth full. She swallows. 

“Um, we were thinking of what we were gonna do.”

“Well, I am _not_ sitting at home again watching lacrosse videos, so if the six of us _are_ hanging out, we’re doing something fun.”

“Hanging out?” Scott asks. “Like, _hanging out_?”

“The _six_ of us?” Jackson adds. Lydia smirks.

“Yep, Emma and Isaac are coming too.”

All eyes dart to the blonde girl, and she sinks down in her seat, taking a big bite of her sandwich.

“It sounds fun!” Allison rescues Emma, and the girl exhales as the attention is diverted.

“You know what else sounds fun? Stabbing myself in the face with this fork.” Jackson says flatly.

“At least do it with a knife, coward.” Emma mutters under her breath. Stiles wiggles his eyebrows at her as he drinks from his water bottle.

“How about bowling?” Lydia asks Jackson suddenly. “You _love_ to bowl.”

“Yeah. With actual competition.” He replies bluntly. Stiles stuffs his face with fries.

“How do you know we’re not actual competition?” Allison asks with a teasing smile. She nods at Scott. “You can bowl, right?”

He gives her a nervous smile.

“Sort of,”

Jackson leans forward, his elbows resting on the table.

“Is it ‘sort of’, or is it ‘yes’?”

“ _Yes_ ,” Scott insists. “In fact, I’m a _great_ bowler.”

* * *

“You’re a _terrible_ bowler!” Stiles deadpans as the three of them walk down the stairs.

“I _know_!” Scott yells back.

“God, it was like watching a car wreck. I mean, first it turned into the whole group date thing, which I don’t even get, considering the fact that Emma isn’t even into people like that. And then out of nowhere comes that phrase.” Stiles spits.

“Hang out.” Emma grimaces.

“You don’t ‘hang out’ with hot girls, okay? It’s like _death_ . Once you start hanging out, you might as well be her gay best friend.” He glances at the short girl next to him. “Emma’s an exception. Anyway, you and Danny can start _hanging out_.” He mocks.

“How is this _happening_?” Scott sighs. “I either killed a guy or I didn’t.”

“I don’t think Danny likes me very much.” Stiles muses, still in his own world. “Emma, what do you think?”

“Everyone likes Danny, but Danny doesn’t like everyone.” She says simply.

“Huh. You know, that actually kinda makes sense.”

“I ask Allison on a date, and now we’re _hanging out_.” Scott wrinkles his nose.

“Am I not attractive to gay guys?” Stiles throws a hand up.

“I mean, maybe if you grew your hair out a bit?” Emma wonders. Stiles nods, his face serious.

“I make first line, and the team captain wants to destroy me, and now--” He checks his phone. “Now I’m gonna be late for work!” Scott speeds up, leaving Stiles and Emma.

“Wait, Scott! You didn’t-- am I attractive to gay guy-- you didn’t answer my question.” Stiles pouts. “Emma?” He asks hopefully.

“Hey, buddy, all I’m saying is grow your hair out.” She pats him on the cheek and walks out the door. Stiles gives her back a confused look.

“What?”

* * *

“Seriously, what is up with you guys and illegal things?” Emma says from the backseat of Stiles’s jeep as they pull up to the school. “Is it like teenage rebellion?”

“No, Emma. I already told you. I have to remember. And in order to do that, I have to be in the bus.” Scott says, exasperated.

“Okay, if you say so.”

Stiles parks the car and turns off the engine, and the three teens hop out.

“Hey, no, just me.” Scott puts a hand on Stiles’s shoulder. “Someone needs to keep watch.”

“Yeah, that’s why Emma’s here.” He explains.

“Uh, no. I’m not staying here in the dark by myself if I can help it.” She pipes up, folding her arms.

“How come we’re always the ones keeping watch?” Stiles demands as he tries to climb the fence.

“Because I’m the supernatural one!” Scott yanks him down. Emma purses her lips and looks at her feet.

“Why is it starting to sound like you’re Batman and I’m Robin? I don’t want to be Robin all the time!” Stiles exclaims, waving his hands around.

“Wait, if you’re Batman, and Stiles is Robin, what does that make me? Alfred?” Emma asks.

“No!” Scott yells. He takes a deep breath. “No one’s Batman, or Robin, or Alfred any of the time!”

“Not even some of the time?” Stiles asks meekly.

“Just _stay with Emma_.” Scott growls.

“Oh my _god_.” Stiles trudges over to his jeep, Emma following closely behind. He jumps in the driver’s seat, slamming the door shut. Emma climbs into the back, leaving the passenger seat for Scott for when he needs to hurry back. There’s an uncomfortable silence before Stiles decides to talk.

“So, a date, huh?” He cranes his neck back to look at Emma. She shrugs.

“I mean, not really. Sure, we’re going with other people, but it’s not romantic or anything. In fact, I’m kind of excited ‘cause he’s like me.” She grins.

“I’m happy for you. Really, Emms.” Stiles smiles genuinely, all traces of sarcasm diminished. A flashlight peeks out from around the bus Scott’s currently in. Stiles sits up, his smile fading quickly.

“What do I do?” He panics, looking at Emma. Her eyes widen.

“Uh, honk the horn!” She gestures wildly. He presses on it repeatedly. 

“C’mon, Scott!” Stiles mutters. The two of them squint into the darkness and see a figure crashing through the front doors of the bus, sprinting towards them. Scott leaps over the fence with a flip and lands on the ground, rolling. He scrambles up and dives into the jeep, screaming.

“Go! Go, go, go!”

Stiles obliges, the car’s tires squealing as they peel out of the driveway.

“Did it work? Did you remember?” Stiles demands, his voice higher than normal.

“Yeah, I was there last night. And the blood-- a lot of it was mine.”

“So did you attack him?” Emma yells from the backseat over the roar of the wind.

“No! I saw glowing eyes in the bus, but they weren’t mine. It was Derek.”

Emma shakes her head in disbelief. Again? 

“What about the driver?” Stiles asks.

“I… I think I was actually trying to protect him.”

“Hold up. Why would Derek want you to remember the fact that he attacked the driver?” Emma wonders. 

“That’s what I don’t get!”

“It’s gotta be a pack thing.” Stiles reasons.

“What do you mean?” Scott’s voice is quieter now.

“Like an initiation? You do the kill together.”

Scott raises an eyebrow.

“Because ripping someone’s throat out is a real bonding experience?” He deadpans.

“Yeah, but you didn’t do it. Which means you’re not a killer! Yay!” Emma says enthusiastically from the backseat.

“And it also means that--” Stiles starts.

“I can go out with Allison!” Scott grins. The driver purses his lips.

“Actually, I was gonna say it means you won’t kill me or Emma.”

“Oh. Oh yeah. That too.” Scott reddens in embarrassment.

* * *

“Thanks for dropping me off, Stiles. See you in half an hour, Scotty boy!” Emma waves from the driveway of the Argent house. Stiles offers a peace sign as he drives away. The girl runs up the steps and rings the doorbell, and Allison’s mom answers it.

“Oh! Hello again…”

“Emma,” She supplies helpfully. The older woman nods, not looking as aggressive as usual. Emma takes that as a good sign.

“Lydia and Allison are in her room, which is upstairs and the first door on your right.”

The sophomore thanks her and rushes upstairs, knocking on the open door with laughter coming from the room inside.

“Hello?”

Lydia pokes her head out in the frame and grabs Emma by the wrist. She drags her over to the bed and promptly pushes on her shoulders to make her sit down.

“Oh thank god you’re here. Do you know anything about fashion?” The strawberry blonde girl asks quickly.

“I mean--”

“Awesome,” Lydia interrupts her, grabbing her hand this time and bringing her over to the closet.

“What do you think?” The girl holds up a black sequined dress. Emma shrugs.

“Looks great,”

Lydia lets out a satisfied hum and pushes it into Allison’s waiting arms. The taller girl holds it up, examining herself in the mirror.

A man walks into the room, holding a jacket. Emma recognizes him from the bleachers at the lacrosse game.

“Dad, hello?” Allison says, an annoyed undertone to her voice. He looks up, smiling, before pursing his lips.

“Right. I’m sorry, I completely forgot to knock.” He apologizes as he puts on the coat.

“Hey, Mr. Argent,” Lydia says as she flops onto the bed.

“Hi,” Emma adds, standing awkwardly.

“Dad, do you need something?” Allison asks, clearly embarrassed. He hugs the coat tighter around himself.

“I wanted to tell you that you’ll be staying in tonight.” 

Allison’s face falls.

“What? I’m going out with my friends tonight!”

“Not when some animal’s out there attacking people.”

“Dad-- Dad, I’m uh…” She stutters, trying not to blow up in front of Lydia and Emma.

“It’s out of my hands.” He says. “There’s a curfew, no one’s allowed out past 9:30 PM.”

The brunette scowls and chucks her dress onto the bed behind Lydia.

“Hey, no more arguing.” He says sternly but smiles. Allison sighs, and Lydia stands up, facing Allison.

“Someone’s daddy’s little girl.” She smirks. Allison bites her fingernail.

“Sometimes. But not tonight.” She bounces on her toes, then walks over to the vanity and shoves a beanie on her head. Allison opens her curtains and slides the window open, climbing out onto the rooftop.

“What’re you doing?’ Lydia demands, poking her head out. Allison doesn’t answer, and simply does a forward flip, landing in the bushes below.

“Eight years of gymnastics.” She giggles. “Are you coming?” She whispers.

“I’ll take the stairs.” Lydia says drily. Emma shrugs.

“Looks fun,” She walks out onto the roof and flips off, just like Allison. The brunette gives her a thumbs up and a grin. Emma bows dramatically.

* * *

After getting their shoes, the three girls head towards their rented lane. Scott, Jackson, and a boy sits there, waiting for them.

“Jackson!” Lydia squeals and they all turn around. The captain of the lacrosse team gets up and starts immediately making out with his girlfriend, which disgusts Emma. She nods a greeting to Scott, then turns to look at the boy. Oh. It’s her new lab partner.

“Scarfboy?” She says intelligently, then slaps her hand on her mouth. She blushes a deep scarlet. “Sorry. Isaac, right? You’re in my chem class.”

He stands up, and holy crap, he’s a lot taller than she expected. He smiles shyly.

“Yeah. Emma?”

The girl nods.

“So, have you ever bowled?” She asks. Isaac runs his fingers through his hair. Emma has a weird instinct to touch it, but that thought scares her, so she shakes it away.

“Sort of? I’m not really good, though.” He tugs his sleeves down, covering his hands. Emma notices the boy is obviously nervous, so she tries to lay off the questions, instead talking about herself a bit.

“Don’t worry, I’m kind of a terrible bowler, too.” Which isn’t entirely true, but he doesn’t need to know that. They watch as Lydia and Jackson somehow bowl together, to which Emma asks “Do they ever do things separately?” Isaac just laughs. Not a full one, but he’s getting there. Allison gets a strike, because she’s Allison. And Jackson, of course, is the best one out of all of them. 

“You’re up, McCall.” He taunts.

“You can do it, Scott.” Allison insists. The boy wipes his palms on his jeans and picks up a ball, walking uncomfortably to the lane. He takes a deep breath, and rolls it straight into the gutter. Jackson lets out a hearty guffaw.

“Maybe he just needs a little warm-up.” Allison says.

“Yeah, maybe he needs the kiddie bumpers.” He laughs again. Emma looks at him with a disapproving glare.

“Just… aim for the middle.” Allison advises.

“Or, you can aim for anything _but_ the gutters.” The captain says with a smirk. Allison gives him a reassuring nod and Emma gives him a thumbs up. Isaac looks at her before doing the same. Scott smiles and turns around, focusing on the pins. He rolls the ball straight down the middle, but at the very end, it clunks into the gutter.

“Great job. Man, you are a _pro_.” Jackson says.

“Jerk,” Emma grumbles under her breath.

“What?”

“Nothing,” She flashes him an extra-fake smile. “Just wanted to ask if you could activate the bumpers for my turn.”

Jackson looks her up and down and is about to say something, but Lydia presses a button for him. Two gates shoot up on either side of the lane. 

“Thanks, _Lydia_.” Emma grabs Isaac’s hand and pulls him up. “C’mon, I’ll teach you.” She picks up a ball and hands it to him.

“Okay, now what?” Isaac asks, pushing his sleeves up so he can hold it properly.

“Bring your arm back.” She stands next to him, doing the motion without the ball so he can copy her. And then you bring it forward and let go of the ball. Isaac practices it once.

“Good! Now this time, let go of it.” She steps back and motions him to go. Isaac’s a little awkward, but he manages to take down four pins. He spins around, a wide grin on his face and his eyes practically glowing with joy. The boy dashes towards her, grabbing her in a bear hug. Emma lets out a surprised squeak, but hugs him back.

“I did it!” He says as he pulls back. His face is flushed and he seems so _happy_ , so different than when he first introduced himself to her. Emma smiles.

“Yes, you did.” She can’t help but feel proud of him, even for doing something so little. Suddenly, his face falls.

“Oh no. I took your turn.”

Emma frowns for a split second then beams.

“That’s okay, I’ve been bowling tons of times. Actually, I’m kinda hungry, do you want to go get some food?” She gestures at the doors. Isaac nods.

“We’ll be right back, we’re gonna go to Alfredo’s Pizza Cafe next door.” Emma tells her friends, then they both change into their own shoes.

* * *

“I still can’t believe you like pineapple with pizza. Disgusting.” Emma teases as she takes a bite out of her cheese pizza. Isaac shrugs, picks off a pineapple, and pops it into his mouth just to spite her.

“So, you’re on the lacrosse team?” She asks.

“Yeah, mostly on the bench, though.” He chews thoughtfully, then decides to ask a question of his own. “What’s your family like?”

Emma pauses, knowing that the right thing to do was to tell him the cover story, but she decides against it. It’s not like he’s ever gonna meet her family, right?

“Well, me, my dad, my aunt, and my half-brother live together. My aunt’s really cool, she’s like the mom I never had. My dad’s slightly less cool, and my brother’s a chaotic mess, but I love them all.” She laughs, finally happy to reveal her secret, even if Isaac wasn’t aware of it. The boy smiles, but his eyes are a little sad. “What about you?” Emma asks kindly. He puts down his pizza and dusts off his hands before taking a napkin and rubbing it on his mouth.

“I um… live with my dad. My brother… he passed away a few years back, same with my mom.” He says quietly. Emma swallows, not knowing what to say. “Camden was everything you could ask for in a big brother. And my mom was a beautiful person, inside and out. I’ve made peace with their, um, deaths, but my dad hasn’t been the same since.” He finishes, his eyes glistening a little. Emma wipes her hands on her napkin before taking his.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” She says softly. Isaac sniffles, but gives her a watery smile.

“No, it’s okay. You’re the first person I’ve felt comfortable telling. Which is kind of weird, considering I just met you like not even an hour ago.” He chuckles. Emma’s heart lurches and she wants to hug him, so bad, so she gets out of her chair and moves around the table to wrap her arms around him. Isaac stiffens but relaxes when he realizes Emma’s just being the caring person she is. The girl releases him with a pat on the shoulder, grabbing her jacket and nodding at the door.

“Let’s go walk around,”

Isaac gives her a skeptical look, but Emma just rolls her eyes.

“C’mon, it’ll be fun. We can walk around and talk. Or, if you don’t want to, we can always go back to the bowling alley. Your call.”

He hesitates, as if he hasn’t made many decisions, then wraps his cardigan around his body.

“Let’s go outside,” He says quietly. Emma’s mouth turns up. She leads him outside, a skip in her step. Isaac follows her with a dumb grin on his face.

“It’s kind of funny, right?” She asks suddenly, looking up into his icy eyes. Isaac frowns.

“What?”

“Scarfboy and anti-Lovergirl.” She says, then realizes that Isaac can’t read her train of thought. “Oh my god, you must think I’m insane. Have you ever seen Sharkboy and Lavagirl?”

Isaac’s mouth becomes an ‘o’ shape. 

“Yeah, actually. I used to be obsessed. Camden would bully me so much for it.” He has a far-off look in his eyes.

“Okay, well instead of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, we’re kind of like Scarfboy--” She points to him. “-- And anti-Lovergirl, because I’m an aromantic asexual.”

“Oh, that’s actually kind of clever.” The boy gives her a slow smile.

“Come on, it’s way better than ‘kind of clever’,” Emma argues, but a smile spreads on her face.

“Fine. It was _very_ clever. You happy?”

“Extremely,” The girl cracks a smile. She checks the time on her phone and her eyes widen. “Shit, we’ve been gone for forty-five minutes.” Clicking off her phone, she glances back up at Isaac, who has a slight smile on his face. “Want to head back in?”

“But of _course_ m’lady. After you.” He says in a posh British accent as he gestures grandly toward the sliding doors. Emma giggles.

“That’s an excellent accent you’ve got yourself, Mr. Lahey.” She says in an equally ridiculous voice.

“Why _thank_ you.”

* * *

After Emma gets two strikes and a spare, and Isaac manages a spare with the bumpers on, they head out into the chilly January night.

“Do you need a ride? My brother’s coming to pick me up, I’m sure he won’t mind you tagging along.” She offers as Isaac gets his bike out of the rack. He pauses.

“I’m okay. It’s not that cold, and I’m gonna be exercising, so it won’t be that bad.”

The blonde girl crosses her arms.

“You sure? He’s coming in like two minutes, and he’s got heated seats.” She sings the last two words. Isaac bites his bottom lip.

“He won’t mind?”

“‘Course not.”

Just then, a navy blue Prius pulls up. The window rolls down, revealing an eighteen year old boy.

“Get in losers, we’re going shopping.” He says, and whips his glasses off. Emma sighs, pinching her nose bridge.

“Did you seriously have to put the sunglasses on, too? It’s like, ten at night.” She groans. “Leo, Isaac. Isaac, Leo-- my asswipe of an older brother.”

The boy in the driver’s seat narrows his eyes.

“Keep talking like that, and I’m telling Da-- uh… Aunt Morgan that you’re out here, in the open, might I add, while there’s a bloodthirsty animal murdering teenagers.” He grins, proud of himself for not accidentally saying ‘Dad’. Emma’s lips press into a line as she opens the door and climbs into the backseat. Leo presses a button that releases the trunk, and Isaac awkwardly puts his bike in with a klunk. He shuts it and follows Emma, closing the door behind him.

“Turn the heated seats on, and I won’t tell Aunt Morgan about what happened after senior prom.” She threatens sweetly. Leo huffs and switches on the heater.

“That’s all you’re getting.”

“Fine by me,”

* * *

Isaac’s house is conveniently on the way to the le Fays, so they drop him off first. The sophomore gets out of the car, popping open the trunk and lugging his bike out.

“Thanks, Leo.” He says through the trunk, shy again.

“Anytime, buddy.” The older boy winks. Emma hops out of the Prius, walking Isaac to his front door. As they ascend the steps, he seems to get more and more nervous, visibly sweating.

“Hey, you alright, Scarfboy?” She asks. The nickname seems to relax him a little, but he’s still fidgeting with the bike.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine.” He takes a deep breath and rings the doorbell. A few seconds later, an older man with disheveled gray hair and glasses comes to the door, frowning slightly.

“Isaac, you didn’t tell me you were going to be out tonight.” He turns to Emma, who gives a small wave and a smile. “And who’s this?”

“Emma. Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lahey.”

He nods. 

“Likewise.” Facing Isaac again, his eyes seem to darken. “We’re gonna have to figure something out later, won’t we, Isaac?”

The boy stiffens and swallows.

“Yes, sir.” He says shakily. Emma glances at him. He seems like a whole new person than an hour ago, when they were having fun together and laughing. “See you on Monday, Emma. Thanks again.” Isaac manages to say, before entering the house, flinching when he passes his father.

“Goodbye, Emma.” Mr. Lahey says, and shuts the door. Emma stares at it for a few seconds before returning to the car.

“Did you see that?” She asks Leo, who nods slowly. “It’s like he was a totally different person.”

Her brother frowns, becoming serious within a blink of an eye.

“Check up on him on Monday. See if it’s just at home or if that’s just his normal personality.” He advises. Emma nods.

“He’s a good kid, I can see it, so make sure you take care of him.” Leo says quietly.

“I will,” She promises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leo’s definitely my favorite OC, as you can probably tell. Also, a little detail: the reason Isaac doesn’t have a key to his own house is because a certain someone is a control freak.


	7. 6: Derek Gets Shot By A Magical Weed-Bullet

The le Fays gather around their living room, tension in the Monday morning air.

“They’re already aware of the supernatural, so it would probably be the best if I told them about us.” Emma says hesitantly from the loveseat, her arms wrapped around her legs.

“Yeah, and because they already know about the ‘other world’--” Leo makes air-quotes while sprawled on the couch. “-- They’re just gonna get more and more suspicious. Honestly, I’m still amazed how Scott hasn’t realized your scent is different than a human’s.”

Morgan purses her lips and takes a sip of her tea.

“Arthur, if Emma’s right, and Derek Hale has really changed, then we have no choice but to reveal ourselves to the boys, before Derek takes advantage of our secret.”

“Dad, Derek can seriously turn them against us if he gets a chance.” The sophomore adds, growing desperate. Her father sighs heavily from where he sits, next to Leo.

“I refuse to believe Derek Hale is the one behind all the killings. He may have lost his family, but there is definitely still good inside him.”

“Do you  _ not  _ remember what happened to my mother? She literally tried to kill you not even ten years ago! My mother, a  _ human _ , tried to kill you! You trusted her, and look what happened.” Emma spits, knowing it’s a low blow, but Arthur needs to know that they are all in danger. As expected, he flinches.

“I admit that was a mistake. Then again, humans’ minds are much more fragile than supernaturals’. The Hale boy is innocent until proven guilty, end of discussion. As for your friends, they’re still overwhelmed about Scott’s new gift. It’s best if you wait for a little while before telling them.”

“Fine. But if they find out, I’m not taking the blame.” Emma grabs her backpack and walks out the door.

* * *

Of  _ course _ her father is right. Emma clenches her jaw as she crosses her arms. Scott had talked to Derek last night, and the older man had revealed that he wasn’t the one who bit her friend.

“If Derek’s not the alpha that bit you, then who did?” Stiles demands in a hushed whisper. Scott shrugs.

“I dunno,”

Emma leans across the aisle.

“Did the alpha kill the bus driver?”

Scott shakes his head slightly.

“I don’t  _ know _ .” He says in a strained voice. Emma slouches in her seat

“Does Allison’s dad know about the alpha?” Stiles hisses. Scott growls.

“I don’t know!” He says loudly, and the whole class turns around to glance at the three of them. Emma gives them a nervous wave. Their English teacher walks by, handing out the papers to their row. At the top of her paper is a bright red B+. Not bad. She cranes her neck to see Stiles’s essay. He got an A, as expected. 

“Dude, you need to study more.” Stiles says bluntly as he checks out Scott’s D-.

“ _ Stiles _ !” Emma gapes at him.

“I-- uh, that was a joke.” He stumbles over his words.

“Yeah, not a very good one.” The girl mutters to herself. “Don’t worry, it’s one test.” She says to Scott.

“You can make it up.” Stiles adds. “Do you want help studying?” He asks as he whips his pencil around. Scott shakes his head with a sigh.

“No, I’m studying with Allison later today.”

Stiles raises his eyebrows suggestively.

“That’s my  _ boy _ !”

Emma makes a face at him.

“Ugh, Stiles! Do you seriously ever think about anything else besides you-know-what?”

“Besides, we’re just studying.” Scott adds.

“Uh, no you’re not.” Stiles scoffs.

“No I’m not…?” The werewolf asks slowly.

“Not if I’m forced to live vicariously through you.”

“What? Stiles, that doesn’t even make sense.” Emma interrupts him. He waves the girl off.

“If you go to her house today, and squander that  _ colossal _ opportunity, I-- I  _ swear to god _ I will have you de-balled--”

“Jesus  _ Christ _ , Stilinski!” Emma groans as she pinches her nose bridge.

“Just, stop with the questions, man!” Scott gives him a concerned look.

“I-- yeah, done.” Stiles purses his lips, waving his hands around. “No more questions. No more talking about the alpha or Derek. Especially Derek. Who still scares me.”

* * *

Emma sees Lydia and Allison talking in the stairwell and debates on whether or not she should join them. Before she can make up her mind, Lydia waves her over and she walks to them hesitantly.

“We’re just studying together.” Allison says with a smile. Lydia gives a short laugh.

“‘Just studying’ doesn’t ever end with ‘just studying’. It’s like… getting into a hot tub. Somebody eventually cops a feel.” Lydia says with a shrug. “Unless you’re Emma, of course.”

“I’m special.” Emma winks and does finger guns.

“Wait, so what are you saying?” Allison asks.

“I’m just saying, you know, make sure he covers up.”

Allison still has a confused look on her face. Lydia laughs again, then pushes the dark-haired girl’s shoulder playfully.

“ _ Hello _ ? Emma, can you help me with this?”

“Um… well, I think my seventh grade science teacher used to say ‘Don’t be silly, wrap your willy!’” The girl provides unhelpfully. Lydia blinks at her, completely unimpressed.

“Do it with a condom.” The strawberry-blonde explains, and starts walking up the stairs. 

“Are you kidding? After  _ one _ date?” Allison scoffs then follows her. Emma trails behind both of them.

“Don’t be a total prude. Give him a little taste.” Lydia pats her arm.

“Ugh, I  _ really _ don’t need that image in my head right now.” Emma wrinkles her nose in disgust. Allison blushes, then gives her an apologetic look.

“Well, I mean… how much is ‘a little taste’?” She averts her eyes, choosing to look at the ground.

“Oh  _ god _ ,” Lydia sighs. “You really like him, don’t you.” They make their way up the stairs and exit the building. 

“Well, he’s just… different. When I first moved here, I had a plan.” Allison explains. “No boyfriends ‘till college. I just move too much. But, then I met him, and… he was different.” She has a dreamy look in her eyes. “I don’t know, I can’t explain it.”

“Mmhm…” Emma nods, pretending to understand what she just said.

“It’s your brain flooding with phenylethylamine.” Lydia says matter-of-factly.

“What?” Both Emma and Allison say at the same time.

“When’s he coming over?” Lydia asks.

“Right after school.”

The final bell rings loudly, making the three sophomores flinch.

“Well, I gotta get to Stiles, he’s driving me home.” Emma says as she turns to leave. “But, good luck, and try and get some actual studying in.” With that, she winks and walks away.

* * *

“Hey, I need to get gas again on the way to your house.” Stiles says as he buckles in his seatbelt.

“Again? You really need to take your jeep in.” Emma says from the seat next to him.

“First of all, I’m broke. And second of all, I have my roll of duct tape, I should be good.” He backs out of the parking spot.

“Well, one day, your car is going to break, and--” Emma jerks forward as Stiles slams his foot on the brake.

“Oh my  _ god _ !” He exclaims. Standing in front of them is a pale, teetering Derek Hale. He wobbles for a second before collapsing on the ground, disappearing from their view. Stiles just stares in front of him in shock, Emma doing the same. Cars honk from everywhere around them.

Scott appears out of nowhere, rushing to help the leather-clad man.

“What the hell?” He demands. “What are you  _ doing _ here?”

Emma and Stiles hop out of the car, joining their friend on the ground.

“I was shot.” Derek pants, sitting up.

“He’s not looking so good, guys.” Stiles adds.

“Yeah, thanks, Captain Obvious.” Emma snaps.

“Why aren’t you healing?” Scott asks, a hysterical edge to his voice.

“I can’t. It was-- it was a different kind of bullet.” Derek breathes heavily.

“A  _ silver _ bullet?” Stiles screeches.

“ _ No _ , you idiot!” Derek bares his teeth at him.

“That’s what she meant when she said you had forty-eight hours!” Scott realizes.

“Sorry,  _ what _ ?” Emma asks.

“Who-- who said forty-eight hours?” Derek’s eyelids flutter as he tries to focus on the younger werewolf.

“The one who shot you.” Scott says, like it’s obvious. Suddenly, Derek groans in pain and his eyes flash a brilliant cobalt blue. Scott whips his head around in a panic.

“What are you  _ doing _ ? Stop that!” He says desperately.

“I’m trying to tell you, I can’t!” Derek growls. Scott hesitates before grabbing him under his arms and hauling him up to his feet. He drags the larger man over to Stiles’s jeep and shoves him into the passenger seat, slamming the door. Students crane their heads to see what is going on, and Emma flashes them all a smile and a thumbs up.

“Find out what kind of bullet they used, Scott.” Derek grinds out.

“How the hell am I supposed to do that?”

“‘Cause she’s an Argent. She’s with them.”

“What-- why should I help you?” Scott argues.

“Because you need me,” Derek replies confidently.

“Fine,” Scott spits out. “I’ll try.”

Stiles hops into the driver’s seat as Emma climbs into the backseat from the trunk.

“Get him out of here.” Scott orders.

“You know, I hate you for this  _ so _ much.” He growls.

“So do I,” Emma sing-songs from the back as Stiles speeds away.

* * *

Rock music blasts from Stiles’s radio as they cruise down the road. Derek grimaces every couple of seconds and opts to lean his head back against the headrest. Emma’s eyebrows furrow and she scooches so she’s sitting behind Stiles.

The flannel-clad boy’s phone buzzes, and he unlocks it eagerly, only to groan when he reads it.

“What happened?” Emma asks. In response, Stiles tosses the phone into the backseat, letting her read the message.

_ You: Did you find it yet? _

_ Scott: Need more time _

“Hey, try not to bleed out on my seats, okay?” Stiles snaps at Derek. “We’re almost there.”

“Almost where?” Derek mumbles back.

“Your… house?” Emma answers from behind the two.

“... What?” The man slurs. “No, you can’t… you can’t take me there.”

Stiles barks out a short laugh. “I can’t take you to your own house?”

“Not when I can’t protect myself.”

Stiles grumbles under his breath and pulls over sharply, slamming the radio off.

“What happens if Scott doesn’t find your magic bullet? Hmm? Are you dying?” The boy demands.

“Not yet.” Derek pants. “I have a last resort.”

“What d’you mean?” Stiles laughs nervously. “What ‘last resort’?”

Derek sighs and yanks his sleeve up, revealing a giant bleeding hole in his forearm. Spidery, black veins spread from the wound. The two teens recoil with disgusted sounds.

“Oh my  _ god _ ,” Stiles covers his eyes. “What the hell is that?” He whimpers. “Is it contagious? You know what, you should just probably get out.”

“Start the car.” Derek says in a low voice. “Now.”

“I-- what-- I don’t think you should be barking orders with the way you look, okay?” Stiles sputters.

“Uh, look, I really hate this, but maybe we should you know, help him? In case he actually does try to hurt us very badly later.” Emma suggests, a worried edge to her voice. Stiles glares at her.

“Ahem,” He clears his throat. “In fact, I think if I wanted to, I could probably drag your little werewolf ass out in the middle of the road and leave you for  _ dead _ !” He yells.

“Highly doubt that, considering the fact that he’s a supernatural creature, and you’re human.” Emma mutters low enough so that Stiles doesn’t hear her.

“Start the car, or I’m gonna rip your throat out. With my teeth.” Derek threatens with an intense stare. The two teens freeze, blinking at him like a couple of deer in the headlights. Stiles huffs and turns the ignition on.

* * *

“What are we supposed to do with him?” Stiles says slowly into the phone.

“Take him somewhere, anywhere!” Scott’s tinny voice says from the speaker. Stiles rubs his forehead.

“And by the way, he’s starting to smell.”

Derek gives him a death glare.

“Like-- like what?” Scott asks.

“Like death,” Emma leans forward and hisses into the microphone.

“Okay, fine. Take him to the animal clinic.”

Emma lets out a nervous chuckle.

“That’s fitting,”

Derek growls at her. She covers her mouth in mock horror.

“ _ What’re you gonna do about it? _ ” She whispers, low enough so that Stiles doesn’t hear. Besides, he’s too busy arguing with Scott. “ _ It’s not like you’re gonna kill me, my family would rip you into pieces before you could try anything.” _ She leans back against the seat, crossing her arms with a satisfied smirk. Of course she knows she’s being a jerk, but she needs to know that Derek won’t spill her secret. And by showing confidence, no matter how fake it is, she’s taking back that sense of control. One point for Emma, zero for Derek.

In front of her, Stiles lets out a frustrated noise. He points the mic to Derek, who looks at the phone before snatching it out of Stiles’s hand.

“Did you find it?” He mumbles.

“How am I supposed to find one bullet?” Scott seethes. “They have a  _ million _ ! This house is like… the frickin’  _ Walmart _ of guns!”

“Look, if you don’t find it, then I’m dead, all right?” His face scrunches up in pain.

“Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.” Scott responds. Emma gives an impressed nod from the back.

“Then think about this.” Derek takes a deep breath. “The alpha called you out against your will. He’s gonna do it again. Next time, you either kill with him, or you get killed. So if you wanna stay alive, then you need me. Find the bullet.” He ends the call.

“Well… that certainly was dramatic, wasn’t it?” Emma says

* * *

The three of them stumble through the double doors, Derek’s uninjured arm around Emma and Stiles flicking the lights on. The girl nearly collapses under the weight of the man, even with her augmented supernatural strength. Derek separates himself from her, crashing against the metal table and taking off his shirt with a pained grunt.

“You know, that really doesn’t look like anything some Echinacea and a good night of sleep couldn’t take care of.” Stiles puts his hands on the other side of the table.

“When the infection reaches my heart, it’ll kill me.” Derek responds, dramatic as ever. He turns around and starts rummaging around the cabinets, digging through supplies with heavy limbs.

“Positivity just isn’t in your vocabulary, isn’t it?” Stiles continues.

“If Scott doesn’t get here with the bullet in time… last resort.” Derek tugs open a drawer.

“Which is…?” Emma asks from the doorway. Derek holds up a deadly-looking electric saw.

“One of you is gonna have to cut off my arm.” He sets it on the table with a clank and slides it over to Stiles, who picks it up and holds the button down. It buzzes loudly and the boy’s mouth drops open, releasing the machine.

“I-- oh my god. What if you bleed to death?” Stiles asks Derek. The older man takes a blue elastic and starts tying it around his forearm with his teeth.

“It’ll heal if it works.” He says with clenched teeth. “If you’re too much of a wuss, give it to Emma.”

The girl swallows thickly and makes her way toward the metal table, eyeing the sharp object warily. Derek finishes tying the knot, securing it so that he doesn’t bleed to death.

“Look, Derek, as much as my family and I don’t like you, sawing off an arm isn’t exactly a priority on my bucket list.” She waves around her hands. He looks hurt for a second when she mentions her family, but his face resumes its normal stony expression.

“Fine. Stiles, you do it.”

“Ugh-- I don’t think I can do this.” The boy panics.

“Why not?” Derek asks, shooting him an annoyed look.

“Well, because of the cutting through the flesh, the sawing of the bone, and especially the blood!”

“You faint at the sight of blood?” He sneers at Stiles.

“No,” Stiles replies defensively. “But I might at the sight of a  _ chopped off arm _ !” He and Derek slowly turn to look at Emma.

“Oh, come  _ on _ . Why does it always have to be me?” She lets out an exasperated sigh.

“Because Stiles is pale and weak.” Derek says simply. Stiles scoffs 

“Since when does my complexion have anything to do with this?” He raises his eyebrows. Both the supernaturals ignore him.

“Le Fay-- either you cut off my arm, or I’m gonna cut off both of your heads.” Derek threatens them.

“Yeah, okay, Queen of Hearts.” Emma says drily, not affected by his menacing tone. Derek leans forward and grabs Stiles’s collar, yanking him forward so he’s inches away from his face.

“I’m starting with him.” 

“Yeah, okay, I’m bought. Sold.” Stiles rambles. “Emma? Buddy? Best friend? Can you maybe not let the big bad wolf murder me? I’d like to get through high school, please.”

Emma narrows her eyes at Derek and covers the side of her face that is facing Stiles so he doesn’t see her eyes glow a bright white. Derek hesitates, then starts breathing heavily. He lurches forward, gagging and spewing a mouthful of thick, black liquid onto the floor. Emma lets out a panicked squeal.

“Oh my god what the  _ hell _ is that?” Stiles whimpers. Derek groans.

“It’s my body… trying to heal itself.” He pants. A line appears between Stiles’s eyebrows and his lip curls up in disgust.

“Well, it’s not doing a great job of it.” The boy provides unhelpfully.

“Emma, you gotta do it now.” Derek flattens his arm against the table, bracing himself by putting his other hand on his knee.

“Um, I really don’t think I can--”

“Just do it!” Derek roars. Emma gulps, all traces of confidence gone. She picks up the saw and positions it over his arm.

“Okay,” She says to herself breathily. “I can’t believe I’m doing this. On a count of three. One… two--”

“Stiles? Emma?” A familiar voice calls out. Scott walks into the room and takes one look at what is going on before screaming.

“What the  _ hell _ are you doing?”

Emma drops the saw with a clatter.

“Scott McCall, you are now my favorite person in the world.” She shakes her head and closes her eyes in relief.

“Oh, you just prevented a lifetime of nightmares.” Stiles laughs shakily.

“Did you get it?” Derek asks weakly, the side of his sweaty face pressed against the surface of the table. Scott digs his hand in his pocket and rummages around before pulling out a brass-colored bullet and handing it to Derek. The man stands up on weak legs and holds it up, blinking with glassy eyes.

“What are you gonna do with it?” Stiles asks quietly.

“I’m gonna…” His eyelids flutter. “I’m… gonna…” He mutters before his eyes roll into the back of his head and he collapses, letting the bullet clink onto the floor.

“No, no, no, no, no!” Scott stresses and scrambles after it. Emma and Stiles dart around the table, Emma slapping Derek’s face lightly.

“Hey, fur-face! Derek!” She yells at him. 

“Wake up!” Stiles commands.

“Punch him!” Emma suggests.

“What? No! He’ll rip my throat out!”

“Scott, what do we do?” Emma yells.

“I don’t know!” He grunts back, trying to reach the bullet, which rolled down into the drain in the chaos. “I can’t reach it!”

“He’s not waking up!” Stiles frets.

“Punch him!” Emma repeats.

“I think he’s dying. I think he’s dead!” Stiles flails around.

“Okay, just hold on!” Scott screeches. There’s silence for a few seconds before Scott jumps up in triumph. “I got it! I got it!”

“Emma, what do I do?” Stiles looks at her with wide eyes.

“I literally said this twice already. Just punch him!”

Stiles grimaces.

“Please don’t kill me for this.” He prays, then cocks his fist back and slams it into the werewolf’s face. Derek jolts awake, green eyes darting everywhere.

“Ow!  _ God _ !” The boy exclaims, holding his hand. The man notices Scott and makes grabby hands for the bullet. Scott drops it into his hand and he and Emma haul the injured man to his feet. Derek leans against the table for support and sticks the bullet between his front teeth, biting it open. He dumps out the contents, tapping the powder out frantically. He grabs a lighter and sets it on fire, making a giant flame burst out. It burns quickly, and what’s left is a smoldering mass of crumbs that give off a strange, blue gas. He scoops it up quickly.

Derek takes a deep breath and mashes the powder directly into his wound, roaring in pain. He falls onto the ground, writhing and gnashing his teeth. The three teens look on with wide eyes. Suddenly, the black veins retreat from Derek’s forearm, and his wound heals before their eyes, leaving no trace of it ever existing.

“That… was… awesome!” Stiles yells and pumps his fist into the air. “Yes!”

Emma gives him an unimpressed look.

“Are you okay?” Scott asks.

“Well, except for the agonizing pain.” Derek says flatly as he stands up, his face quickly gaining its normal color back.

“I’m guessing using sarcasm is a good sign of health.” Stiles chuckles. Derek glares daggers at him.

“Okay, we saved your life, which means you’re gonna leave us alone, you got that?” Scott says, his voice slightly shaky. “A--and if you don’t, I’m gonna go back to Allison’s dad, and I’m gonna tell them everything--”

“You’re gonna trust them?” Derek asks, his gaze intense. His eyes flicker over to Emma, and she looks away. “You think  _ they _ can help you?”

“Why not?” Scott challenges. “They’re a lot  _ freaking _ nicer than you are.”

“I can show you exactly how nice they are.” Derek spits.

* * *

Stiles pulls up into the le Fays’ driveway. The car ride was silent, save for the music. Stiles clicks off the radio.

“Thanks for the ride.” Emma goes to open the door.

“Wait,” Stiles says abruptly. The girl turns to face him.

“What is it?” She asks.

“You mentioned your family.”

“Huh?”

“When Derek said he needed you to cut off his arm, and you said something like ‘As much as my family and I don’t like you…’ or something like that. What did he do to your family?”

“Uh, maybe you’re just overthinking it?” She licks her lips. His eyes narrow.

“You just licked your lips. That’s your nervous tic.” Stiles observes. “What’s going on, Emma?”

“I-- I have to go. See you, Stilinski.” She grabs her backpack and exits the jeep, slamming the door behind her and cursing under her breath.

Emma hears the car turn over behind her, but doesn’t pay attention to it. As it peels away, she climbs her window and drops down from the ledge, landing softly on her bed.

The light flickers on, making her let out a silent shriek. Leo turns around in her desk chair.

“Well, well, well. Look who decided to show up.” He says, a disappointing edge to his voice. Emma stays frozen on her bed. “Emma, what were you doing? It’s one in the morning.”

“I-- it was-- we were just--” She stutters, then inhales deeply. “The Argents almost killed Derek Hale. I think they shot him with a wolfsbane bullet. Scott, Stiles, and I had to help him. Oh, and also, Stiles is onto us. He’s starting to figure things out and we don’t have much time before he exposes us.”

Leo whistles lowly.

“Well, I mean, at least you’re not doing drugs.” He shrugs. Emma glares at him.

“Really? That’s it? You’re not freaking out or anything because I  _ definitely  _ am.” She rambles shakily. “Stiles is gonna find out our  _ secret _ , Leo! Scott’s a freaking  _ werewolf _ and there’s something out there-- something that’s definitely supernatural. Not to mention the Argents are gonna try and hunt every non-human down! In case you haven’t noticed, we are  _ very _ non-human!” She smashes her face into her pillow and groans.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m really freaking scared, but there are people who deal with these kinds of things, Em. Dad and Aunt Morgan are probably already aware of the creature. As for Stiles, you’ve kept our secret for three years, you can keep it for another few weeks. Just until we can figure this out, okay?” His voice changes as he becomes more caring.

“We’re gonna be fine, Em. Try and get some sleep. You have school tomorrow.”

Emma lifts her head from her pillow.

“Thanks, Leo.”

“Anytime, Em.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right. So, this is definitely a filler, but hope you enjoyed a little bit of Leo and Emma's sibling love. Don't worry, Isaac's gonna be back in the next chapter.

**Author's Note:**

> So guess who jumped on the Teen Wolf bandwagon like 1293864 years too late? Me. It's me.


End file.
